ITV Racing Tips for 28th December 2025 – Two Picks For Bumper Monday

The racing just does not relent at this special time of year, and after a solitary day without it we are set to enjoy more ITV action this Monday. Newbury, Doncaster and Kelso are set to be broadcast in some shape or form from Britain while the big race over in Ireland is also being shown live from Leopardstown. Billy Grimshaw has scoured the card and has a couple worth playing...

13:50 Newbury

Later in the Newbury card if No Drama This End gets anywhere near the 4/6 I saw dangling on Boxing Day I'd be all over him for the feature Challow Hurdle, but at 1/2 he isn't really a tipping proposition. Thankfully, the first race broadcast on ITV from Newbury does give me the opportunity to tip and I am siding with one of the youngsters in the field at seven in IDEAL DES BORDES for Nicky Henderson and Nico De Boinville.

Two non runners means there are only two places available for each-way bettors so I am going to recommend a win only play here, but of course reader's discretion always applies and you can back him in whichever market you please. Off a mark of 117 I am in no doubt this horse, if giving his best, can be competitive and win a race and hopefully today is the day. Looking through his form, there is a clear pattern - any rain and he will sulk. Thankfully, it looks like a dry day awaits at Newbury and with the ground currently good to soft, good in places, he should finally be getting the conditions he wants.

This horse has won over 3m before so this slightly extended trip at a flat track like Newbury should hold no fears and at nearly 10/1 he is the obvious value in here. Fellow seven year old Rivers Corner for Joe Tizzard is the one I fear most, given he ran well for a long way last time out before weakening and is now down in trip, but the price difference between him and the Seven Barrows representative makes the choice obvious. Annual Invictus is ten now but even with top weight should be able to be competitive, so perhaps he can bag a place.

14:32 Leopardstown - December Hurdle

I am doing something that is relatively rare for me in this race, ditching an old favourite for a horse I seldom get right. New evidence is always worth examination however, and although the talk of crisis at Closutton is a touch overblown in this humble scribe's opinion, what is not being overblown is the white hot form of Gordon Elliott's operation over Christmas. With that in mind, amongst a few other factors, I am siding with BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD to win the December Hurdle.

She has already been backed in from 4/1 to closer to 5/2 but considering the stunning style of her win in this race last season coupled with the doubts over Lossiemouth's suitability to this trip and tight track, there is still plenty of juice in that price. She could not have been more impressive winning this twelve months ago, bolting clear with her pacemaker before he faded and she kept going to clock a stunning time and leave State Man toiling in her wake. Were racing not so Cheltenham-centric, Brighterdaysahead would be viewed as one of the best horses in training but unfortunately for her, it is all about those four days in March and she just does not like it there.

Taking her Cheltenham defeats out of her record she is a consistently brilliant proposition and although Lossiemouth sets a high bar for her to aim at as market leader, there is a suspicion Brighterdaysahead's ceiling is higher. I will be backing her to win and also backing her to finish first and stablemate Casheldale Lad to finish second, but that will be a tiny stakes bet builder or forecast bet so is not a tip. The tip is simple, Brighterdaysahead will win.