We’re racing at Kempton, Aintree and Wetherby on Boxing Day! Catch all of our best bets and tips for these meetings right here.
AINTREE
Race 3 – TELLHERTHENAME 5/1
Aintree hosts the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle, the renamed and relocated contest that used to be held at Sandown and known as the Tolworth.
A Grade One run over two miles and half a furlong, the field contains the promising TELLHERTHENAME from the Ben Pauling stable.
A convincing point-to-point winner before joining the yard, the bay may have been beaten a nose on debut but then won by 14 lengths next time out in a Huntingdon maiden.
That form has been well and truly franked as no less than three horses behind him have won emphatically since – including 13-length Doncaster winner Lucky Place, 11-length Fontwell scorer Soigneux Bell and 16-length Fakenham victor West Warhorse.
KEMPTON
Race 2 HERMES ALLEN 13/8
HERMES ALLEN can add a second Grade One to his tally in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.
Winner of the Challow Novices’ Hurdle for Paul Nicholls last term, he fell short at the spring festivals, coming home a well-beaten sixth in the Ballymore at Cheltenham and being well-held by Irish Point when third at Aintree.
He impressed with his jumping on his chasing bow at Newbury last month though, gaining confidence throughout a Grade Two test over two and a half miles, eventually coasting home by six and a half lengths from the useful Nickle Back, with the reopposing Tightenourbelts and Marble Sands third and fourth respectively.
Hermes Allen moves up to three miles now, but given he was a point-to-point winner at that trip, the distance holds no fears and he can match up to France’s best Il Est Francais.
Race 3 – CONSTITUTION HILL 1/9
CONSTITUTION HILL will be the name on everyone’s lips when he makes a belated return to action in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
Nicky Henderson’s six-year-old is unbeaten under rules, with his last six victories all coming in Grade One contests including the Champion Hurdle and the Aintree Hurdle at the peak of last season.
Prior to that he landed this race on Boxing Day last year, a 17-length success over former stablemate Epatante, winner of the 2020 Champion Hurdle.
His seasonal comeback was delayed as the Fighting Fifth was firstly cancelled due to snow at Newcastle, before being relocated to Sandown, where Henderson felt the ground was unsuitably testing.
He now takes on five rivals, all of whom are rated at least 26lb inferior to him and barring disaster, this is his for the taking.
Race 4 – ALLAHO 7/4
ALLAHO can give his trainer Willie Mullins a third success in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase, the highlight of a cracking Boxing Day card at Kempton.
Top class from his bumper and hurdling career through to his chasing days, the nine-year-old has been lightly raced in recent seasons but has not lost a race in five starts since April 2021.
He took the Punchestown Gold Cup over this trip in 2022 and returned from a lengthy injury break in early November to take the Clonmel Oil Chase by nine lengths.
He only faced two rivals on that occasion but his prior form cannot be overlooked, and nor can his consistency when question marks hover around several other contenders.
WETHERBY
Race 4 – DOES HE KNOW 9/5
The William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase is the Wetherby headliner, a three-mile handicap in which DOES HE KNOW can make a successful start to the campaign.
Kim Bailey’s charge has been off the track since finishing third to Zanza in the Denman Chase at Newbury back in February, where a three-mile trip at Grade Two level proved beyond him.
Returning from a 318-day absence under top-weight is clearly not ideal, but Does He Know has a fine record first time up in previous seasons and this could be a nice starting point.
