@RoadCheltenham's Christmas Crackers: Five To Back Over The Festive Period

The entries for Christmas are starting to filter through, with four exhilarating days of racing at Leopardstown and Limerick as well as a double header at Kempton. As the saying goes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Here, I look through the Christmas entries in a bid to find my five best bets over the festive period. Ignoring some of the obvious ones, I’ve tried to focus on horses that are likely to run – though there is always an obvious risk with antepost markets.

So here we go, here are my top five festive fancies to back over the coming week and hopefully we’ll get a winner or two over the busy Christmas period!

26th December, Leopardstown - Racing Post Long Distance Novice Chase

We start off with the first Grade 1 of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and I’m siding with the Gordon Elliott-trained BETTER DAYS AHEAD. He got the better of Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Slade Steel on chase debut and is reportedly set to step up to three miles here, though there is the option of 2m3f at Limerick on 28th December.

Soft ground is important to this horse but it was quick enough at Navan in November and as long as ‘soft’ is in the going description then it shouldn’t be a problem. Impaire Et Passe is the right favourite but I hope he may head for the Grade 1 at Limerick and that will leave Better Days Ahead as the clear favourite to win the Racing Post Long Distance Novice Chase.

Best price at the time of writing: 9/2

26th December, Kempton - King George VI Chase

Trained by Joseph O’Brien, BANBRIDGE was running a huge race when unseating rider Richie Deegan at the last in the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase at Cork earlier this month. He is fully fit and connections have been working back from the King George VI Chase ever since he won the 2m Grade 1 Punchestown Festival Champion Chase in April.

One slight negative is that JJ Slevin is required at Leopardstown that day so chances are he may have an unfamiliar jockey onboard. I’ve not heard anything official but I wonder if Paul Townend could get the call up if he goes over to ride Lossiemouth in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle. The better the ground, the better his chances and the forecast looks dry enough at this stage.

Best price at the time of writing: 11/2

27th December, Leopardstown - Future Champions Novice Hurdle

I’ve landed on KARNIQUET in the Grade 1 Future Champions Novice Hurdle and he looks a stonking each way bet to me at the prices. There are doubts over Salvator Mundi and his fitness for this race whereas we know the Gigginstown horse has had a run and will likely improve for it – and he certainly will need to show a higher level of form at Leopardstown.

He's bred to stay further than two miles but that trip and a bit of cut in the ground should be fine at this stage of his career. If, for any particular reason, Salvator Mundi does not take up this engagement, then Paul Townend may choose to ride Karniquet and there is absolutely no chance he’ll be as big as 8/1 come the off.

Best price at the time of writing: 8/1

27th December, Chepstow - Welsh Grand National

I’d say GALIA DES LITEAUX looks very dangerous indeed off a mark of 142, especially with soft conditions expected at Chepstow. Welsh Grand National day is often a bog and the Dan Skelton mare will be right at home if it becomes a test of attrition. She has stamina in abundance and I can’t see her being out of the first four – she has plenty in her favour looking at the race.

She recorded a RPR of 153 when running off this mark last January, finishing less than a length adrift of My Silver Lining in the 3m5f Classic Chase at Warwick. Her run in the Aintree Grand National was full of promise, she was bang there before tiring late on and she’s now off a 4lbs lower mark. Fingers crossed she can run a very big race. 

Best price at the time of writing: 12/1

28th December, Leopardstown - Savills Hurdle - NAP

I’m expecting HOME BY THE LEE to be a warm favourite for the Grade 1 Leopardstown Savills Hurdle and he has form in this race, pulling away to win the 2022 edition by three lengths. Things didn’t go entirely to plan for him last season but he proved a convincing winner over 2m4f at Navan in November’s Lismullen Hurdle and I’d say he will improve a lot for that run.

Connections will want some cut in the ground and any rain will be helpful to his chance of victory. However, he is pretty ground versatile compared to some of his rivals and I’d be hopeful that his spring form behind Teahupoo may be enough to get his head in front for a second Grade 1 success. Reportedly working well at home, fingers crossed he can get the job done. 

I make him my best bet of this five. 

Best price at the time of writing: 3/1