Top trainers with their main hopes over Christmas

Christmas crackers from Paul Nicholls, Ben Pauling, Olly Murphy, Joe Tizzard, Johnson White, Dan Skelton and Jamie Snowden

By Graham Clark

Horse Racing

Fri December 26, 2025 · 1M ago

Graham Clark speaks to seven leading trainers including Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton and Ben Pauling to find out the horses they fancy to run well over Christmas.

For fans of National Hunt racing, Christmas Day is not about the giving and receiving of gifts and tucking into a turkey roast dinner, but a time when the real time for studying starts.

With the Christmas shopping done for another year, work can now begin in trying to find a winner or two from during what is traditionally a feast of racing across both sides of the Irish Sea from Boxing Day to New Year’s Day.

While some will have to make time for relatives that visit once a year, there will be no such issue for formbook lovers with the only thing on their mind being able to work out where the value lies in that search for a winner.

However, given the volume of racing that will take place from December 26th until January 1st it can be easy to miss horses in trackers that might appear outside the major meetings.

So to help narrow the search down to find a few winners to help replenish the coffers at a time when spending is at a premium, seven of National Hint racing’s finest trainers have put up horses they believe will be seen heading back to the winner’s enclosure over the coming days.

JOE TIZZARD

Chepstow, December 27th

AMBION VIEW (14:10 Join Coral ‘Bet £10 Get £50’ Handicap Hurdle)

“He has run well on both of his starts this year to finish second at Newton Abbot and last time out at Exeter.

“I think he has the pace for two and a half miles, but I think stepping him up in trip here might just help him travel that bit better and keep him in his comfort zone. He seems good at home.”

Taunton, December 30th

WEST ORCHARD (15:23 Boyle Sports Daily Money Back Meetings Handicap Chase)

“His comeback run at Wincanton earlier this month was good. That was his first start in almost 12 months as he had been off since the previous December with a tendon issue.

“I thought he would need that first run back more than he did, but he ran a blinder.

“He certainly looked like he still had mileage in his mark last time as it was only from the back of the second last that he got tired. That will have sharpened him up for this.”

Joe Tizzard and Diamond Ri

DAN SKELTON

Cheltenham, January 1st

JUST GOLDEN (12:15 Enquire About The Cheltenham Bloodstock Club Maiden Hurdle)

“We are going to come back two furlongs and go two and a half miles with him here. I think the track will really suit him.

“It was a bit of a sprint up at Newcastle the last day and that didn’t really suit him, but he is a nice horse and I think this race will be a much better fit for him.”

All eyes are on Dan Skelton

JAMIE SNOWDEN

Taunton, December 30th

LADY TADITA (14:20 Byerley Stud Mares Novices’ Hurdle)

“She is three from three after backing up her bumper win with wins this season over hurdles at Market Rasen and Huntingdon. We earmarked this race at Taunton after she won at Huntingdon.

“The track should suit her well as she is quite quick.”