The Racing TV pundit and author pinpoints a handful of horses to keep an eye on over Christmas and into the New Year.
Kempton’s Boxing Day fixture on Monday rounds off with a competitive looking 15 runner handicap hurdle over two miles five (3.40).
Dan Skelton is set to run the novice GREY DAWNING who doesn’t look overburdened off a mark of 123.
The Flemensfirth gelding won both his bumpers at Wetherby last season and was viewed as a potential Graded novice hurdler at the start of the campaign.
Beaten a length and a quarter on his first start over obstacles at Aintree (2m 4f) in November, he then successfully dropped back to the minimum trip at Exeter when beating Lallygag (won since) when in receipt of three pounds.
Well clear of the remainder, he will appreciate the return to this longer distance and the track will suit. It will be disappointing if the grey doesn’t prove considerably better than his opening mark.
Gary Moore has assembled an enviable team of novice hurdlers this winter and is all set to unleash a potentially high-class juvenile in the shape of BO ZENITH who could make his UK bow at Kempton on Tuesday in an introductory hurdle (12.45).
Trained in France by David Cottin, he ran out a ready three and a half lengths winner at Auteuil in early April and the form looks strong.
The runner-up Blood Destiny scored easily at Cork on his first run for Willie Mullins this month, while the third (won twice), fifth and seventh have also entered the winners’ enclosure, plus the sixth was runner-up in a Grade 1 at Auteuil last month.
The gelded son of Zarak has an alternative engagement in a similar event against older horses at Newbury on New Year’s Eve. He is one to follow wherever he appears.
Alan King is believed to be excited about the prospect of unleashing CALL OF THE WILD over fences. The Fame And Glory gelding was due to make his chasing debut at Doncaster a couple of weeks ago but a cut on a joint ruled him out.
A bumper and dual hurdles winner, he reached a mark of 129 over timber but can aspire to a much loftier rating over the larger obstacles, if his schooling is anything to go by.
Successful at Huntingdon, Kempton and Doncaster, the five year old is suited by flat tracks and was a running on third in a valuable handicap hurdle at Ascot in October.
He is expected to line up in a two miles novices’ handicap chase at Doncaster on Thursday (12.45) next week.
CRYSTAL GLORY was a useful staying novice hurdler last season winning twice before running well in Graded contests at Haydock and Aintree.
However, the former Irish pointer threatens to be even better over fences and Nicky Richards’ gelding couldn’t have made a better start to his new vocation when scoring by 20 lengths in a three miles novices’ chase at Hexham last month.
Sean Quinlan’s mount produced a superb round of jumping before bounding clear of the 137 rated runner-up Rapid Flight.
Entered in a novices’ handicap chase over three miles one at Haydock on Friday (1.00), he is well handicapped off 138 and will take some stopping. The Grade 2 Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby (February 4) looks a logical target in the New Year for Greystoke’s latest chasing star.
Paul Nicholls has never won the Listed 4yo bumper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day (3.40) (the ill-fated Dynamite Dollars was third in 2017) but is likely to have a leading contender this time around in the shape of MEATLOAF.
A three year old by Doctor Dino who was acquired for €97,000 as a yearling, he is a half-brother to the stable’s 148 rated chaser Thyme White. Sent off 5/4 favourite on his racecourse debut in a ‘junior’ bumper at Wincanton – Greatwood Hurdle winner I Like To Move It won the race in 2020 – at the start of this month, we didn’t get to see much of the contest but Harry Cobden’s mount emerged from the fog before staying on strongly to beat Mr Mackay by nearly three lengths.
The slight drop in trip shouldn’t be an inconvenience given the fact it is a stiff track and he is expected to go close. In terms of the opposition, while it is likely Mr Mackay will be too busy keeping an eye on Norman Stanley at home, his colleague Mr Barrowclough is expected to be in attendance at Prestbury Park on January 1.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ gelding also made a winning start to his career when scoring by a couple of lengths at Doncaster last month. Finn Lambert was on board and, having raced prominently, the Mount Nelson gelding went to the front with quarter of a mile to travel before stretching clear of the more experienced Tedtwo. He has been bought by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede since.
New Year’s Day promises to be a big day for Team Ditcheat with Knapper’s Hill (Relkeel Hurdle) and Monmiral (Dipper Novices’ Chase) expected to be on parade at Cheltenham and Meatloaf can ensure the champion trainer starts 2023 like a bat out of hell.
To purchase a copy of Mark Howard’s 26-page Christmas Special, which includes full analysis of the big races over the Festive period, plus horses to follow from Rich Ricci and Anthony Bromley, please head to www.mhpublications.co.uk.
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