Well that’s it for Welsh Grand National day and while it was terrific to see (when you could see any of the action) a stirring finish for the Chepstow contest there was just one horse to concentrate on … and that was Sir Gino, who put up one of the most impressive novice chase debuts for many a long year at Kempton.
The Arkle Chase beckons for that brilliant winner of the Wayward Lad Chase for trainer Nicky Henderson, who reported afterwards: “He’s always had a huge amount of talent and this sort of track suits him really well because he’s got a lot of speed.
“I think he has to have another run. You could say ‘what can you teach him?’. Probably not a lot, but you’ve just got to be respecting these things because it is all a little bit too easy for him today.
“This is a lovely place to learn without getting the big tests, which you’re going to get at Sandowns, Ascots and Cheltenhams. They’re different tests and you’ve just got to have your wits about you a little bit more than you need to round here, but this is a great place to start.”
The Kingmaker Chase at Warwick is the likely next port of call says Henderson, who also told the Racing Post that Constitution Hill is well after his reappearance win at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Henderson said no decision had been made about whether the nine-time winner would run in the Unibet Hurdle at the track on January 25 (but let’s hope so as any time we can see this horse it’s for the benefit of the sport).
The trainer added: “He’ll come on from it and [his jockey] Nico [de Boinville] was adamant about that. He’s absolutely fine and he was sound this morning. He ate up last night and he’s been out in his little paddock this morning. He’s just being himself, but he’s learning to wake up on the racecourse now.
“He’s going round with his ears pricked and he was taking it all in yesterday. It doesn’t get him excited, because it never will, but he’s getting the hang of the fact he’s a bit different.”
Sir Gino, ridden by Nico de Boinville ,on their way to winning the Wayward Lad Novice Chase at Kempton Park. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
They’re off … Beachcomber has always been handy and leads at halfway … Frere Banbou is challenging the leader as they turn for home … Highstakesplayer is trying to get in touch … but Beachcomber kicks clear for an easy win.
And they’re off … we will see them jump the first fence but then not much after that for some time in this marathon contest … Amateur is leading early but he usually pulls up … Fontaine Collonges has not been going that well but there’s not much more to report so far … No Hubs No Hoobs is up with the leader now and Monbeg Genius has lost ground … but is now making ground again … can’t see much now as they are in the back straight … here they come into the home straight and Iwilldoit is there … Val Dancer is challenging … Val Dancer wins from Jubilee Express.
Venetia Williams’s form since summer jumping gave way to the genuine article in October has been both exceptional and consistent, with regular wins in valuable handicap chases and a Grade One win in the Betfair Chase for good measure. This is a tricky little event to conclude the ITV card, with a couple of previous track-and-trip winners, Highstakesplayerand Slipway, taking on Williams’s Rehearsal Chase winner, Frero Banbou, but with her stable still in rude health, the nine-year-old may well add another useful prize to her haul.
SELECTION: FRERO BANBOU
Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm) result
And they’re off … Sans Bruit but makes a mistake at the first. … Editeur Du Gite is alongside and the leading pair have gone off very fast … perhaps too fast … Editeur Du Gite is now clear … but has been caught after going on far too quick … Boothill has fallen … Editeur Du Gite and Edwardstone head for home … Edwardstone and Soul Icon will fight it out and Soul Icon gets the better of that battle to win.
Fifteen runners is a fairly modest field by the standards of this race – the smallest since 2001, in fact – and the ground promises to be less demanding than is frequently the case. Obvious candidates to consider include Iwilldoit, the winner in 2021, and the 1-2 from the stayers’ handicap on Betfair Chase day at Haydock, Fontaine Collonges and Monbeg Genius, while money has also been arriving all day for Kerry Lee’s Atlanta Brave, who will be in cheekpieces for the first time. But I’ll be putting a few quid on Dan Skelton’s strong-staying mare, Galia Des Liteaux, a useful performer over hurdles who has improved steadily over fences and marathon trips. She put up an excellent performance to finish a close second in the Classic Handicap Chase at Warwick in January and is back to the same handicap mark of 142 today.
And they’re off … “We probably won’t see them until they get into the home straight,” says the commentator. Stops typing. With a circuit to go Madaket and Phantomofthepoints are disputing the lead … see you later … Phantomofthepoints leads to the second-last hurdle … Tune In A Box and Woodie Flash go past the line together after Phantomofthepoints throws the race away in the closing stages by veering to the rail and not keeping a straight line. Woodie Flash is confirmed the winner after the photo finish!
A bit of a throwback here as the very classy Edwardstone, a dual Grade One winner, drops into a handicap for the first time over fences. He was the second-favourite for the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase, a contest that he won in 2022, last time out and had yet to be asked for an effort when he fell four out and while he would probably not have troubled the high-class Jonbon, a decent second was very much within reach. Useful though he is, however, it is quite an ask to win under 12st, and conditions look ideal for Boothill to atone for a mid-race departure after setting off as the favourite for this race last year.
SELECTION: BOOTHILL
Wayward Lad Novice Chase (Kempton, 1.55pm)
And they’re off … Ballyburn shoots off into a clear lead … Sir Gino is close behind with Rubuad … and now Sir Gino takes the lead at the open ditch and the two prominent in the betting are clear and in for a private battle … Sir Gino jumps the second open ditch and the next fence noticeably well … and they turn for home … Sir Gino kicks clear … and goes away for a comfortable victory. Willie Mullins’ horses are simply not firing on all cylinders and Ballyburn finishes a tired second.
By the way Willie Mullins’ runners in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown, 1.45pm) ran stinkers. See earlier post about the poor form of some of the runners from that yard!
Greg Wood
Coral Handicap (Chepstow, 2.10pm) preview
The progressive Woodie Flash remains on a fair mark after going down only to a well-handicapped rival at Newbury in Novembe
And they’re off … the fog has started to come down again a bit more thickly so don’t expect a lot of detail … “I think they’re off” says the commentator which sums the situation up … Opec is leading as they go out “into the country” as they say and they go out of view … Hot Fuss is prominent as they reappear briefly … Mister Cessna was being pushed along … Marche D’Aligre has now got the lead with Nietzsche Has challenging in the closing stages … and Nietzsche Has has quickened clear though nobody saw it!!
A fascinating clash between two of the most exciting young novice chasers on either side of the Irish Sea. Ballyburn, last year’s Gallagher Novice Hurdle winner at Cheltenham, made a solid start to his chasing career at Punchestown in November, but marginal preference is for the younger and even less exposed Sir Gino, who posted an impressive time when easing eight lengths clear in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last time.
This juvenile hurdle – for three-year-olds who will all be four on New Year’s Day – was generally the weakest Grade One contest of the British season until it was downgraded from 2022, but the third running as a Grade Two has managed to attract a genuine Grade One performer in Marcel Roland’s Nietzsche Has. He was a close second in a Grade One at Auteuil in November and he is comfortably clear of his field on ratings as he drops back in class here. James Owen’s Opec, unbeaten when completing over hurdles, is the obvious danger, but he has 15lb to find with the favourite on Timeform ratings.
SELECTION: NIETZSCHE HAS
Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle (Kempton, 1.20pm) result
And they’re off … Della Casa Lunga leads a tightly grouped field as they set off … Royale Margaux is at the back … and as they appraoch halfway Della Cassa Lunga still has the lead and they are bunched up and not much has changed … now they turn for home and the leader kicks on … West Balboa comes to challenge … Royale Margaux makes an effort … Della Cassa Lunga has led all the way to win!
And they’re off … Lowry’s Bar leads the field over the first fence … Fidelio Vallis is up with the leaders and Le Milos is last in the early stages … they’ve run into the mist now … Le Milos has reappeared in second place! … Lowry’s Bar has managed to hold on but saw very little of that I’m afraid!!
The fact that Dan Skelton has declared the 141-rated West Balboa for this mares’ race means that three of the eight runners are “out of the handicap” – ie. carrying the minimum weight of 10st 2lb when their actual rating would see them carrying at least 3lb less, and 6lb less in the case of Fortuna Ligna at the foot of the weights. That clearly puts the five at the top of the list at something of an advantage, and while West Balboa is clearly the classiest horse in the race, I’m not entirely convinced that she will be able to give 21lb to Tom Symonds’s Royale Margaux. She has shown improved form over hurdles on her last two starts, did well to get within four lengths of the winner after finding trouble in running at Cheltenham last time and can race off the same mark here.
SELECTION: ROYALE MARGAUX
Foggy times at Kempton! Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
Chepstow racing is a bit delayed so bear with if the betting, previews and reports are a little scrunched together today … and if the news of action on the details of the races are less detailed than usual. It’s hard to see for racegoers, commentators and TV viewers alike at all the tracks!
Racegoers in the enclosure as horses walk in the parade ring at Chepstow. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
It’s also pretty foggy at Kempton …
Things are improving at Chepstow where you can now see the final fence/hurdle down the home straight.
Coral Handicap Chase (Chepstow, 1.05pm) betting
Can’t see much at Chepstow. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Greg Wood
Coral Handicap Chase (Chepstow, 1.05pm) preview
Just seven runners in the opening race on the ITV card and a very popular favourite in Lowry’s Bar, who does rather leap off the page as he has made a very promising start to his chasing career and has much more scope for further progress through the ratings than most of his rivals. He was a 5-2 chance overnight, however, and has been backed down to around 5-4 this morning, so any value in his price is long gone. Georges Saint will make some appeal as an each-way alternative as a result, as he has gone well fresh in the past and Venetia Williams, his trainer, is in sparkling form, but the scratching of Nocte Volatus from the original eight declarations means that the bookies are now only paying two places.
SELECTION: LOWRY’S BAR
Jockeys and trainers inspect the course at Chepstow with stewards as heavy fog surrounds them. Photograph: David Davies/PA
“Stewards will continue to monitor conditions as each race takes place,” reports Hayley Moore at Chepstow, after officials gave the go-ahead for racing to go on at the Welsh track, currently shrouded in fog.
According to former BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght racing at Chepstow will continue … though let’s hope that doesn’t prove a controversial call.
Jockey Gavin Sheehan, who won the first race at Chepstow on Julius Des Picton, told At The Races presenter Hayley Moore about riding out on the track: “It’s not ideal … you can’t see the hurdles until you are close to them!” An inspection is being held now to see if racing can go ahead.
Chepstow inspect for Welsh National meeting
This just in … Chesptow have called an inspection owing to thick fog at the track!
Good morning. Loved the title of the opening race of the day at Leopardstown … the Paddy Power I Have No Idea What Day It Is Maiden Hurdle. Seems very appropriate. I much prefer when Christmas Day is on a Sunday (the day people traditionally don’t do much and ha a roast dinner) – you know where you are then. Shopping on Saturday (Christmas Eve) and sport on a Monday (Boxing Day) followed by life getting somewhere back to normal. But the horror is that the next Sunday Christmas Day is not until 2033!
Anyway, back from existential dread to the action. What was perhaps most interesting about that Leopardstown race is another defeat for a Willie Mullins runner who wasn’t sighted after hardly being well supported in the betting. Chris Cook wrote in his email to Racing Post subscribers this morning that Mulllins hardly had a great day yesterday and mused: “There might be individual reasons for those disappointments, some of which will become clear over time. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong at Closutton. But it’s something to fret about as Mullins approaches one of the busiest days of his year.”
One to watch as the day goes on ….
Trainer Willie Mullins watches Lossiemouth run below par at Kempton Park on Thursday. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/INPHO/Rex/Shutterstock
Preamble
Greg Wood
Good morning from Kempton Park ahead of another day of outstanding festive racing action both here and in south Wales, where 15 runners are due to go to post for the Coral Welsh Grand National, the most valuable event of the Welsh racing year.
It was a foggy start to the day in Wales, but conditions have steadily improved ahead of the first race at 12pm, and the action in the market for the big race has been livening up too. Monbeg Genius, formerly the property of controversial couple Doug Barrowman and Michelle Mone, was favourite yesterday morning but has been friendless in the betting and is out to 9-1, and there are now no fewer than four horses – Atlanta Brave, Jubilee Express, Iron Bridge and Evies Vladimir – vying for favouritism at odds of around 7-1.
Here at Kempton meanwhile, the big attraction is a head-to-head between two of the most exciting novice chase prospects around, Sir Gino and Ballyburn, in the Grade Two Wayward Lad Novice Chase at 1.55. Sir Gino, who is still just four years old, switches to fences after successfully deputising for his stable companion, Constitution Hill, in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last month, and remains unbeaten after five starts over hurdles, while Willie Mullins’s Ballybur has just one defeat on his record and, unlike Sir Gino, a Cheltenham Festival win to his name in the two-and-a-half mile novice hurdle back in March.
There are some big names in action in Ireland too – Gaelic Warrior, last year’s Arkle Trophy winner, makes his seasonal debut there in a Grade One at 1.10 – and you can follow all the action, wherever it might be, here on the live blog as the day unfolds.
A huge crowd turned up for the racing at Kempton on Boxing Day. Photograph: Steven Paston for The Jockey Club/PA
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