Boxing Day racing tips: Best bets for King George, Aintree and Leopardstown

Willie Mullins comes to the party again in a big way, having not had a runner 12 months ago, and we’re surely looking at two of the most promising staying chasers trained in Britain in regards to Jango Baie and THE JUKEBOX MAN.

Ben Pauling's horse might have missed some important conditioning in the major Grade 1 novice races at the spring festivals last time around but he remains a bit of a blank canvass as a consequence and looked every bit as dominant as the market had anticipated he might be on seasonal debut at Haydock.

He is made for this test on the prevailing ground around Kempton Park, where he put in an exhibition of jumping in last year’s Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over the same course and distance.

WATCH: The Jukebox Man beats Iroko in Betfair Exchange Graduation Chase

With the seasonal debut freshness shaken out of him, it’s not hard to envisage The Jukebox Man quickly getting into a nice rhythm just behind the pace, likely to be set once more by tearaway Il Est Francais, and Haydock runner-up Iroko’s victory at Ascot on Saturday shouldn’t be overlooked – a very tidy late form boost heading into the Boxing Day feature.

The 13/2 on offer about The Jukebox Man rates good business.

Mydaddypaddy is all set to be the star of the show up at Aintree as he bids to complete a hat-trick over hurdles and cement his place at the head of the Sky Bet Supreme market with victory in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle.

He’s definitely shaping like Grade 1 material through-and-through and gets his chance to prove as much here, but there’s no desire to be backing him at odds-on with so much untapped elsewhere in the race.

Away from the ITV spotlight – but sticking with Aintree – don’t be surprised to see CREBILLY put up a good effort at potentially rewarding odds in the two and a half-mile William Hill Daily Bet Boosts Handicap Hurdle.

He’s had a decent break since reappearing in the three-mile event won by subsequent Long Walk Hurdle hero Impose Toi here on November 8, and that could be considered a good thing seeing as his yard has gone through such a rocky patch in the past six weeks or so.

It’s taken a while but the O’Neill team looks to be gathering good momentum again now, especially in light of Wilful’s Ascot triumph on the Long Walk undercard, and Crebilly has become very dangerously handicapped.

Down 1lb to 129 following the seasonal reappearance run, he’s just a couple higher than for his most recent hurdles success and when you consider he went off just 11/1 for last year’s Ultima Handicap Chase off a perch of 138, it’s clear he’s an eight-year-old on the right side of the assessor if everything happens to click into place.

Dropping back in trip on what promises to be soft ground in the north west of England could help spark a resurgence in this talented yet mercurial character.

Over in Ireland, Mullins may have lured one or two rivals – barring Gordon Elliott who you sense knows just what’s coming – into a false sense of security after his slow start to the season, but that’s nothing new if you look back over the past four or five seasons and it’s clearly all about to change at Christmas.

Profiting from the almost inevitable onslaught of festive winners set to emerge from Closutton in the next couple of weeks is easier said than done, but do look out for SALVATOR MUNDI in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day.

The Met Eireann reports 2025 to have featured the fourth-wettest autumn in 85 years, but despite conditions being suitable in the main, Mullins was still seemingly more than happy to bide his time and loads of the horses were badly in need of their first start of the campaign during November.

Salvator Mundi looks a prime example of that, having blown up on the long run to the final fence on chasing debut at Thurles. He was ultimately picked off by the cannily-ridden Kappa Jy Pyke (Danny Mullins) and it goes down as a bitterly disappointing defeat at odds of 1/7, but I’m expecting considerable improvement to come.

Having comfortably accounted for Romeo Coolio, by seven lengths no less, in the Grade 1 TrustATrader Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April, Salvator Mundi could represent excellent value in against that same Elliott-trained opponent, who has clearly taken to the larger obstacles very well but now drops down in distance after landing the Drinmore in good style at Fairyhouse.

Published at 1600 GMT on 21/12/25

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