Boxing Day is the busiest day of the year with regards to meetings in the UK and Ireland, with no fewer than 11 meetings set to take place.
Action comes from Aintree, Wetherby, Sedgefield, Fontwell, Kempton, Market Rasen, Wincanton and Wolverhampton in Britain, while Ireland has three meetings from Down Royal, Leopardstown and Limerick.
Our expert, Colm Doyle, has a trio of selections from across the card including a French raider that’s bidding for Grade 1 success at Aintree in the 1.05.
1.05 - William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle - Aintree
Formerly known as the Tolworth and run at Sandown Park, the Formby Novices’ Hurdle has its first renewal at Aintree this Boxing Day, and it rates as a fascinating contest with an Irish raider and a French raider in the 10-runner field.
Farren Glory is the Irish raider lining up and he already has a Grade 1 success to his name this season. He’s been favourite for this contest in the ante post markets but at a bigger price, the French trained July Flower could be a big player.
The four-year-old filly was a Grade 1 bumper winner at Fontainebleau last year and she’s looked highly progressive over hurdles this season at Auteuil, France’s premier jumps track.
She returned with a facile success in September when she won going away from the field, quickening up nicely in the closing stages to put that race to bed, and she did similarly when gaining another 2m2f win at Auteuil in October.
However, it’s her latest piece of form that gives her a chance of having a say in this contest. She was just two lengths behind long odds-on favourite Losange Bleu in a Grade 1 and that effort is worth marking up given that the winner, who had plenty more experience in Graded company, had the help of the rail at Auteuil; something that is a key factor in the closing stages of races on the hurdle track at that venue.
The drop back in trip here should be no issue for a horse with plenty of speed and this German-bred filly relishes soft ground, which it has been all season at Auteuil so far. There’s plenty in her favour here and the British two-mile novices don’t set an insurmountable standard by any means.
The ground is already soft at Aintree and with another 5mm expected on Christmas Day, conditions should stay that way. At a double-figure price, she looks like a huge player from an each-way perspective and French Champion Jumps jockey, Felix De Giles, comes over for that ride alone.
The French form appears to have been underestimated and she ought to go well at a price with the mares’ allowance (7lb) also in her favour.
Kamsinas is already a Grade 2 winner and is amongst the opposition but his improved form has all come on quicker ground than what is likely at Liverpool and Farren Glory is probably the main danger for the Gordon Elliott team.
1.35 - William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase - Wetherby
It looks set to be soft ground at Wetherby too on Boxing Day. Does He Know is progressive but probably wants quicker ground than what is likely and similar can be said for last year’s winner of the race, Into Overdrive, whose best form has come on good to soft. He was pulled up at the Festival in his only start since and may need this run.
One that has a recent run under his belt and will relish these conditions is Empire Steel who ran with credit at Kelso in October’s return run. The yard has really turned a corner since then, getting a couple of winners over jumps in recent weeks and Empire Steel looked like a chaser going places last season.
He fell on his sole other appearance at Wetherby back in this race in 2021 but he was going well when coming down and he’s been an improver since. All his best form is on flat tracks going left-handed and a mark of 141 is certainly workable, given that he was only narrowly denied from 5lb higher in a handicap at Kelso last year.
Karl Philippe is another well treated sort but he probably wants the ground quicker too and Fontaine Collonges arrives out of form.
The main danger to the selection could be Houston Texas who produced a career best to win on his return at Carlisle last month, and he’s a progressive chaser who has won five of his 10 starts over the larger obstacles. If he comes on from his return, he could be a big player despite a 7lb rise demanding a career best.
2.45 - William Hill Extra Places Every Day Handicap Chase - Wetherby
Later on the card at Wetherby, Special Rate is likely to be popular in the market in his bid for a quite remarkable six-timer but the handicapper has given him a stone for his latest success and that might just be enough to thwart him.
It takes a leap of faith to support the next selection given the form he’s been in recently but Do Your Job has become so well handicapped, he might just be worth chancing.
He was rated 144 at the end of the 2022 season and he’s come all the way down to a mark of 133. Things didn’t go right for him at Cheltenham last time but his better form is on flat tracks and having shown he retains ability on Aintree on this year’s return, he might just be able to get back on track at a more suitable venue that plays to his strengths.
Three of his six wins have come on soft or heavy, so conditions shouldn’t be an issue and there’s a possibility of an uncontested lead in this six-runner race, something he would relish.
