Find all previous Seymour Biz racing previews in his weekly column: Saturday Horse Racing Tips.
Saturday is Boxing Day and that means Kempton Park and the King George, it’s not the greatest punting day on the calendar but there are certainly some classy horses on view.
The television cameras are covering four races from Kempton and a cracking renewal of the Rowland Meyrick from Wetherby and here are my thoughts for the best value of the day.
Boxing Day Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Kempton. Son Of Camas
1.50 Kempton. If The Cap Fits
3.00 Kempton. Santini
2.05 Wetherby. Springtown Lake
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365
Beginning at Kempton with the 1.15 a Novices Handicap Chase run over just short of 2m 5f, we have Dan Skelton’s Alnadam as a favourite. His win at Sandown at the beginning of this month was gained at the expense of a classy field, including Killer Clown who reopposes here. I expect Alnadam to confirm those placings but he has 3lb extra to carry.
Champagne Well has run consistently for trainer Fergal O’Brien this season without winning. He may have to settle for a place again.
Son Of Camas from Nicky Henderson’s yard looks the best option after being highly tried at Cheltenham on his last two outings. He has been pulled up in soft/heavy going and given a better surface, he should go well.
At 1.50, the Kauto Star Novices Chase over 3m the bookies seem to think this is a two-horse-race between Dan Skelton’s Shan Blue and Colin Tizzard’s The Big Breakaway. The former has won his last two, both low grade contests, and this is a major step up. While the latter has won a better race at Cheltenham then failed miserably last time out at Exeter when odds on, the two are beatable.
The horse that can do it is Harry Fry’s If The Cap Fits who last year won the Ascot Hurdle, then he came out this season and won over fences on his reappearance. His latest run at Sandown where he was a close up second was on firmer ground than he likes. With more give in the ground, he can take this prestigious novices chase.
The big race of the day is the King George VI Chase at 3.00 and again, the bookmakers have a pair at the head of the betting both of which are from the Paul Nicholls yard. Firstly, Clan Des Obeaux who has won this race on the last two occasions. He loves it around here at Kempton but I was disappointed with him last time at Haydock and he needs to improve on that performance.
The other fancied horse is Cyrname who was second last year but came out for his first run of the year and jumped like a stag at Wetherby in October but he seems to jump awkwardly around here and I have my doubts about him.
Of the rest Lostintranslation trained by Colin Tizzard seems to have lost his liking for the game judged by his latest Haydock performance and he was pulled up in this last year.
One who has been supplemented for this is Nicky Henderson’s Santini. His latest run at Aintree was considered unsuitable for him by connections due to fences being omitted but his previous outing where he was only beaten a neck in the Cheltenham Gold Cup was an excellent performance. He can crown his year by winning this.
The best betting race of the day is the 2.05 at Wetherby, the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase and there are several to like here.
Alan King’s Canelo is highly fancied but he had the race handed to him at Aintree when the leader fell then went past beaten horses on the run in at Newbury to take second on his latest outing in November.
Beau Bay has won twice here at Wetherby for Dr Richard Newland and he kept on strongly to win at Aintree last time but that was only over 2m 5f, the furthest he has ever won over.
Top weight Spiritofthegames trained by Dan Skelton has done all his running at Cheltenham recently. He has a lot of weight here and added to that has not won for two years.
I like the look of Phillip Hobbs’s Springtown Lake who was unsuited by the National fences last time in Beau Bay’s race and he is 11lbs better off with that horse. He has been crying out for a longer trip and can be successful here.
Boxing Day Lucky Fifteen
1.15 Kempton. Son Of Camas
1.50 Kempton. If The Cap Fits
3.00 Kempton. Santini
2.05 Wetherby. Springtown Lake
Bet this lucky 15 now on Bet365