Racing UK Tipstar winner Chris Baker best Boxing Day bets
Racing UK Tipstar winner Chris Baker with his three bets bets for Boxing Day - including a £250 charity bet selection.
Best bets:
Boxing Day is a key highlight in the sporting calendar for many sports fans. There are eleven race meetings scheduled to take place across Britain and Ireland and some of the sport’s top equine stars will be in action.
The feature race is, of course, the prestigious Grade One 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton (3.05pm), where eight runners are set to go to post. Five of them have enjoyed success at the highest level over fences and of the others, one is a dual Grade One winner over hurdles. Five have winning course form, including last year’s hero Thistlecrack, and two were winners last time out.
Might Bite is the current market leader and it’s easy to understand why. Having won a dramatic renewal of the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, he followed up at Aintree and then made a fine seasonal reappearance at Sandown last month. He travels and jumps extremely well but does have his quirks.
Bristol De Mai is 2-2 this season and was a commanding winner of the Betfair Chase last time out. He appears to be at his best in very testing conditions but there is rain forecast for Kempton and he can’t be dismissed lightly.
Another interesting contender is Fox Norton, who was beaten by just a head in the Champion Chase in March before winning the Melling Chase at Aintree in impressive style. However, he will have to prove his stamina over this trip and was beaten at odds on last time out.
My selection for the race is THISTLECRACK (NAP), who was a stunning winner last year when running as a novice. He has raced just twice since due to an injury and has to prove that he retains the ability that saw him develop in to a headline act during 2015-2016.
Colin Tizzard’s stable star lost nothing in defeat when beaten just a head by the ill-fated Many Clouds in one of the races of last season at Cheltenham in January.
Unfortunately, he missed the rest of the campaign and made his return to action over hurdles earlier this month. As a multiple Grade One winner over timber, it was disappointing to see him finish fifth in that race but he weakened as though in need of the run and he is fully entitled to have come on for it.
His overall career record of 13 wins from just 20 starts (4-5 over fences) includes ten for jockey Tom Scudamore and the same number over this three mile distance. He has proven himself to be versatile in terms of ground conditions and is very attractively priced up for this race as a result of the apparent uncertainty over his well-being.
If these concerns prove unfounded and he performs anywhere near the level that he did in the race a year ago, then it will require something very special to beat him.
He is my selecton for a £250 charity bet courtesy of Sky Bet with all proceeds going to the Injured Jockeys Fund.
Elsewhere on the card, Nicky Henderson looks to have a good chance of winning the novices’ handicap chase at 1.20pm. The Seven Barrows maestro has landed four of the last nine renewals of this contest and is double handed with two six-year-olds declared to run. Horses in that age group have won this race in each of the last three years and in five of the last eight.
Reigning Supreme is 2-3 over hurdles and looks to be a good chasing prospect. He appears to be well regarded by connections but he may just need the run as this will be his first start since March.
Preference is for WENYERREADYFREDDIE, who also makes his chasing debut but has the advantage of race fitness having had a spin over hurdles last month. Daryl Jacob’s mount ended last season with a comfortable novice hurdle win at Doncaster and has shaped on several occasions as though this step up in trip will suit him.
Over at Wetherby, the 188Bet Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase has attracted eight runners and looks really competitive. Get On The Yager showed improved form when stepped up to three-and-a-quarter miles last time out. However, the drop back in trip and less testing ground could make it difficult for him to follow up. Delusionofgrandeur comes in to the race in good form and was an eased down winner at Catterick last time. This represents a significant step up in class though and Danny Cook has chosen stablemate WAKANDA (NB).
Sue Smith’s eight year old has finished in the first three in 12 of his 20 starts over fences and his six victories include three Listed contests and a Grade Two.
He is without a win since December 2015 but his nine runs since then have included three at Grade One or Two level. He finished second in this race last season when ahead of Blaklion, who is the current favourite for the Randox Health Grand National.
On that form he is extremely well handicapped as he will be running off a five pounds lower mark. Wakanda is a strong stayer, has won at Wetherby before and is 5-12 for Cook. He rates a bet.
Recommendations:
1.20pm Kempton: 1pt win WENYERREADYFREDDIE
2.10pm Wetherby: 1pt win WAKANDA (NB)
3.05pm Kempton: 1pt win THISTLECRACK* (NAP)
Twitter @chrisbaker1984
Related horse racing links
Next Off
Most Followed
MOST READ RACING
