Key events
Well that was a great day’s racing highlighted not by the King George as is normally the case at Kempton on Boxing Day but the return of Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle. The winner is the greatest hurdler we’ve seen since the peerless Istabraq and has the potential to become the greatest of all time and so it was a bit special to see him come back fit and fighting. One of the leaps on the far side was outstanding and he was always travelling well unlike his main opponent Lossiemouth. Let’s hope he gets to the Cheltenham festival for the Champion Hurdle and struts his stuff in March too. See you tomorrow for the Welsh Grand National and the clash between Sir Gino and Ballyburn at Kempton.
Many people have said over the years that Constitution Hill has never become a people’s horse for whatever reason, I think that race has very much changed that🤍🖤
— Kate Tracey (@KateTracey12) December 26, 2024
King George VI Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm) result
1 Banbridge 7-1
2 Il Est Francais 9-2
3 L’Homme Presse 14-1
King George VI Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm)
And they’re off … Il Est Francais leads and Grey Dawning has made a mistake at the first fence … The Real Whacker and Bravemansgame lead the rest as the French horse kicks into a pretty long lead … the leader is ten lengths ahead as they pass the stands with a circuit to go … The Real Whacker goes in pursuit … and the lead is down to six lengths … now down to four lengths with Bravemansgame going in pursuit … Envoi Allen has unseated the rider … Il Est Francais is now being reeled in by Banbridge … who takes the lead and gets home for victory.
King George VI Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm) betting
Greg Wood
King George VI Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm) preview
There is no standout in the field for this year’s King George in the manner of Kauto Star, Long Run or Silviniaco Conti, but in many ways it is all the better for that and offers no end of possibilities for the festive punters to consider. The returning Il Est Francais, so impressive in the novice chase here last year, is one of three French-trained contenders, while Jimmy Mangan’s Spillane’s Tower, beaten half a length behind the leading Gold Cup contender, Fact To File, at Punchestown last time, leads the Irish challenge alongside Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge, whose most recent Grade One success came at Punchestown in May. With the up-and-coming Grey Dawning and the 2022 winner,Bravemansgame, also in the field, alongside very live contenders at double-figure odds including L’Homme Presse and Envoi Allen, it feels – and bets – more like a handicap than a Grade One level-weights contest and it would be no surprise to see four or five at least still in with a chance as they straighten up for home.
SELECTION: GREY DAWNING
Well … Nico de Boinville has certainly gone with the full barrels there after ex-jockey Paddy Brennan had said in the build-up that “no horse can give Lossiemouth 7lb”. De Boinville tells ITV presenter Matt Chapman on the way in on Christmas Hurdle winner Constitution Hill: “One more thing … Paddy Brennan … you can shove that where the sun don’t shine!”
Christmas Hurdle (Kempton, 1.55pm) result
1 Constitution Hill 5-6 fav
2 Lossiemouth 1108
3 Burdett Road 18-1
That deep breath from trainer Nicky Henderson at the end after Constitution Hill win at Kempton
Must be a mixture of relief, happiness and satisfaction 😰
— Francis Keogh (@HonestFrank) December 26, 2024
Christmas Hurdle (Kempton, 1.55pm)
They’re off … Burdett Road leads … with Constitution Hill in second, Lump Sum third and Lossiemouth at the back … not much change in the back straight … with Lossiemouth still a bit adrift … Lossiemouth just being pushed along … Constitution Hill makes his move … and comes home about three lengths clear. Great to see!
Christmas Hurdle (Kempton, 1.55pm) betting
Lossiemouth Evens fav
Constitution Hill 11-10
Burdett Road 22-1
Lump Sum 50-1
Greg Wood
Christmas Hurdle (Kempton, 1.55pm) preview
There have been more than a few false starts for Constitution Hill since he extended his unbeaten career record to eight races in this contest last year, but thankfully the wilder internet rumours about his prospects of adding to that tally have proved to be wide of the mark. Nicky Henderson’s gelding is back, and will need to be somewhere close to his best form to cope with a very dangerous opponent in the form of Willie Mullins’s Lossiemouth. It is a fascinating head-to-head and in some ways a race to watch and savour as objectively as possible without a bet getting in the way, but if forced to swing one way or the other, I’d personally have to side with Constitution Hill, as he has a fair few pounds in hand of Lossiemouth on the ratings even with her 7lb mares’ allowance taken into account.
SELECTION: CONSTITUTION HILL
Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (Wetherby, 1.35pm) result
1 Some Scope 5-2 fav
2 Kinondo Kwetu 10-1
Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (Wetherby, 1.35pm)
And they’re off … apart from Mr Incredible who has refused to race … Tahmuras has the early lead with Good Boy Bobby and Cruz Control close up … now Good Boy Bobby, the 2021 winner of this contest, has taken up the running … Some Scope has made good ground … Some Scope takes up the lead at the third-last … and kicks clear for a victory.
Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (Wetherby, 1.35pm) betting
Kauto Star Novice Chase (Kempton, 1.20pm) result
1 The Jukebox Man 4-6 fav
2 Hyland 11-2
Kauto Star Novice Chase (Kempton, 1.20pm)
And they’re off … Welcome To Cartries leads in the early stages but the field of five are all close together … White Rhino unseats his rider and is out of the race … Masaccio is being pushed along at the back a little … The Jukebox Man goes into second place … with Hyland in the lead … The Jukebox Man looks ready to challenge and jumps the fifth-last very well … Hyland and The Jukebox Man go for home … The Jukebox Man is too good and kicks clear for victory.
Greg Wood
Kauto Star Novice Chase (Kempton, 1.20pm) preview
The first of the card’s Grade One events, and also the race won so impressively 12 months ago by Il Est Francais, one of the market leaders for the King George in a couple of races’ time. This has not been a good race for favourites in recent years, with only one of the last 11 delivering for the punters, but there is a lot to like about the claims of The Jukebox Man, in the Harry Redknapp colours, after a polished chasing debut at Newbury last month. He is also one of only two runners in the field with just one run over fences in the book, so arguably has more scope for progress than most of his opponents. Masaccio, who was a two-length second to The Jukebox Man at Newbury, is a 4-1 chance to reverse the form on what will be his third chase start, while Hyland, White Rhino and Paul Nicholls’s Welcom To Cartries, the other runner making his second chase start, complete a small but very competitive field.
SELECTION: THE JUKEBOX MAN
Formby Novice Hurdle (Aintree, 1.05pm) result
1 Potters Charm Evens fav
2 Miami Magic 6/1
Formby Novice Hurdle (Aintree, 1.05pm)
Reader warning: It’s foggy and this might be a limited report! Roadlesstravelled and the highly regarded Potters Charm are the early leaders … they have now run in to the mist … and now out of that foggy part of the track it’s the same order for now … I now cannot see a thing and relying on the commentary from Aintree … Celtic Dino has come to join the leaders and take up the running … Celtic Dino turns for home with Potters Charm just behind … Potters Charm and Miami Magic are now in a battle and Potters Charm has got the better of rival in the closing stages.
Formby Novice Hurdle (Aintree, 1.05pm) betting
Ladbrokes Best Odds Handicap Chase (Kempton, 12.45pm) result
1 Leader In The Park 5-1
2 Asta La Pasta 15-8 fav
3 El Rio 11-1
Ladbrokes Best Odds Handicap Chase (Kempton, 12.45pm)
And they’re off … El Rio and Leader In The Park get off to a flying start … with Leader In The Park leading in the early stages … Es Perfecto has lost places and is now at the back … Asta La Pasta travels well … Fire Flyer is being ridden along … Asta La Pasta moves into third still going smoothly … Leader In The Park and Asta La Pasta go for home … Leader In The Park has quickened up from the front and though Asta La Pasta travelled strongly the jockey Ben Jones has judged that well from the front and wins on Leader In The Park.
Ladbrokes Best Odds Handicap Chase (Kempton, 12.45pm) betting
Greg Wood
Ladbrokes Best Odds Handicap Chase (Kempton, 12.45pm) preview
A tricky little contest to kick off the King George card, with one non-runner – Leave Of Absence – reducing the field to the ideal “dead-eight” runners for each-way purposes. Fire Flyer, from the Paul Nicholls yard, and Dan Skelton’s Asta La Pasta are currently vying for favouritism and both have obvious claims, but there are plenty of live each-way options elsewhere in the field, including Range, who already looks like improving on his fair hurdles form now he is over fences, and Es Perfecto, who is more exposed but has course form after getting off the mark over fences at the fifth attempt last time. My original pick here was Leave Of Absence but in his, well, absence, I’m inclined to side with Range each-way to progress from his latest win at a track that suits front-runners.
SELECTION: RANGE
Look out for Kopek Des Bordes who has just won at Leopardstown despite crashing through the hurdles on his first time over jumps …
How good could Kopek Des Bordes be?
He did not jump a single hurdle (at all), even the last when he needed it.
Would expect to see a different horse with plenty of schooling and Paul back aboard.
Still bolted up regardless 🔨 pic.twitter.com/FAPaULGWVH
— Pete (@RiskForRewards) December 26, 2024
Kelvin MacKenzie, who styles himself “the most successful ever editor of the Sun” is at Kempton and has revealed that everyone there is getting a free scarf and mince pie. His claim that “[I] Guarantee not a Socialist in the place” won’t go down well with Greg Wood or my ex-colleague Chris Cook if he’s made it.
Just arrived at the Ladbrokes Boxing Day meeting at Kempton Park and have already been offered a free scarf and mince pie. No wonder the joint is heaving. Guarantee not a Socialist in the place.
Read some old tosh from the NHS claiming gambling addiction is on the rise. The NHS…— Kelvin MacKenzie (@kelvmackenzie) December 26, 2024
Here’s Constitution Hill arriving at Kempton …
Weather update … racing delayed at Aintree owing to fog.
There will now be a ten- to 15-minute delay to racing at Aintree with the television cameras being redeployed due to fog
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) December 26, 2024
Hello and welcome to this Boxing Day bonanza. It’s rare indeed that the King George VI Chase, one of the great jumps races on the calendar, threatens to be overshadowed but that’s the case at Kempton today with Constitution Hill making his comeback in the Christmas Hurdle against current Champion Hurdle favourite Lossiemouth. The Nicky Henderson-trained runner has had plenty of hiccups, detailed here by colleague Greg Wood, since winning the race imperiously last year but backers at least haven’t loss faith. The folks at BestofBets.com report “he is by far the punters favourite as he’s attracted nearly 60% of all wagers” and is now favourite over his big-market rival having been odds against earlier in the week. It’s worth remembering that ratings experts Timeform put Constitution Hill in the top ten hurdlers of all-time alongside some of the greats of the 1970s and just 3lb behind the mighty Istabraq.
Preamble
Good morning from Kempton, where festive racegoers are pouring through the gates ahead of what is possibly – no, I’m going to make that probably – the most eagerly-anticipated King George VI Chase card of the century.
The feature event is a cracker by itself, a wide-open, 11-runner contest with a decent case to be made for 10 of them and live contenders from both Ireland and France adding extra interest. And it is backed up by the long-awaited and much-anticipated reappearance of Constitution Hill, one of the all-time great hurdlers, in the Christmas Hurdle, 366 days after his romp to an easy success in the same race last year.
It will not, surely, be anything like as straightforward today, as Willie Mullins has sent the mare Lossiemouth, a dual winner at the Cheltenham festival already, to take him on in what promises to be – with all due respect to the highly promising Burdett Road – a head-to-head for the ages.
It seemed quite possible after the final declarations earlier in the week that for the first time since his racecourse debut in December 2021, Constitution Hill would not set off as the favourite for today’s race. Punters have been making time in their busy Christmas Day schedules to back him, though, and the top two in the betting have flip-flopped, with Constitution Hill currently top-priced at even money and Lossiemouth out to 5-4.
It could all change again, of course, as the betting heats up in the 10 minutes before the off, and much the same is true of the King George. Spillane’s Tower, bidding to give owner JP McManus a first ever win in Christmas feature, is currently top-priced at 100-30 but anyone one of Banbridge (5-1), Il Est Francais (11-2) or even Grey Dawning (13-2) – because who doesn’t love a grey in the King George? – could yet make a move towards the top of the betting if they catch the punters’ imagination.
L’Homme Presse, from Venetia Williams’s red-hot stable, has also been attracting money this morning although ideally he would probably like a bit more cut in the ground, which is officially good, good-to-soft in places.
You can, as always, follow all the action, reaction, market moves and more here on the blog from the first race to the last, and the action will get underway at 12.45 when a novice handicap chase will launch an ITV Racing programme that also includes a the Grade One Formby Novice Hurdle (1.05) at Aintree and the competitive Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby (1.35).
