Boxing Day Bankers from the Timeform & Sporting Life racing team

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Wed December 25, 2024 · 6h ago

The Timeform & Sporting Life racing experts put forward their best bets for Boxing Day's racing in England and Ireland.

12.40 Market Rasen – Some Bro (Dan Barber)

It will have been some time – three years to the day at the same track and for the same trainer in fact – since Dougie Costello rode over jumps but the clearly thrown-in SOME BRO can justify the jockey returning to his National Hunt roots in the Rand Farm Park All Weather Attraction Novices' Handicap Chase.

Costello also rides course specialist Giovanni Change in the Lincolnshire National, the race in which he steered Cash To Ash to second on his last jumps mount, but it is Some Bro who provides much stronger hopes of a winning return judged on the distinct promise of his recent chasing debut at the track. Some Bro almost came down early, yet he passed nearly all the field on the bridle thereafter and still looked a threat to the thriving front-running winner Camino Rocio when sprawling on landing at Market Rasen’s tricky third last.

He'll take an awful lot of beating in a weak-looking race provided he’s come out of that experience in one piece.

Patrick Mullins: Christmas preview

Leader In The Park – 12.45 Kempton (Andrew McLaren)

The opening ITV race on Boxing Day looks a cracker with cases to be made for pretty much every runner in this Novices’ Handicap Chase but I’m convinced LEADER IN THE PARK is going to prove much better than his current mark of 120 over fences and he can be expected to take a big step forward after an encouraging comeback at Cheltenham last month.

He jumped and travelled well on his chasing debut until the lack of a recent outing told, but that experience will have done him the world of good and tuned him up perfectly for this. He looks well handicapped on some of his novice hurdle form and looks the type to improve significantly over fences, coming from a point-to-point background, and Ben Pauling has always held this horse in high regard, as he made clear in his recent Sporting Life stable tour.

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12.50 Sedgefield – Flash du Pistolet (Kieran Clark)

FLASH DU PISTOLET looked as though he was going to do this column a big favour on his chasing debut when looming up early in the straight and trading odds on in-running, though low sun was a major factor on that occasion and the elongated run-in was to his detriment after he’d impressed with some slick jumping, eventually fading into fourth.

That form has been boosted no end since with as many as four next-time-out winners emerging from that race and it’s easy to strike a line through his latest outing at Wetherby when failing to stay over a longer trip in the mud. The return to a speed-favouring two miles in the Vickers.Bet Wishing You A Merry Christmas Handicap Chase will be right up his street and he deserves to be favourite in what looks a very winnable race.

1.35 Wetherby – Some Scope (Matt Brocklebank)

Richard Hobson’s SOME SCOPE has had the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase as his target since returning from wind surgery last month and the fact he wasn’t ridden close to the pace when plugging on for fourth in the Rehearsal at Newcastle meant it was the ideal prep race for the six-year-old.

Three miles on a flat, left-handed track is precisely what he’s looking for and the prevailing conditions are merely the gift-wrapping - the final flourish, as it were - for his supporters.

Johnny Blue – 1.45 Leopardstown (Billy Nash)

He isn't one of his yard's higher profile runners on the day but JOHNNY BLUE is one from the Willie Mullins yard that I expect to take plenty of beating. Runner-up on two of his three starts for Nicky Henderson last season, Johnny Blue was easy to back on his Irish debut at Cork last time but shaped well, briefly looking set to play a big part in the finish and not knocked about once his chance had gone.

His opening mark looks a very fair one on that evidence, he is entitled to strip fitter for the run and the drop back to the minimum trip in the Dornan Careers Novice Handicap Hurdle will play to his strengths.

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Myretown – 2.10 Wetherby (David Johnson)

MYRETOWN shaped a lot better than the bare result on his chasing debut and looks to have been found an excellent opportunity to get off the mark over fences in the William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase (2.10) at Wetherby. The 0-135 10-runner event at Newbury in which he finished fifth behind Kalif du Berlais had plenty of strength in depth and Myretown set a sound pace for a long way, jumping like an old hand before getting tapped for toe after the fourth last, allowed to come home in his own time and very much shaping as if the run will do him the world of good.

A four-week break since suggests this next assignment was always part of the plan and the step back up in trip looks in his favour, especially with similar tactics against these three lesser rivals should see him enjoying the run of the race. He’s got a long way to go before he’s emulating his stablemate Ahoy Senor in the same silks but he ought to be taking this on his way to better things.

Fortunate Man – 2.15 Aintree (David Ord)

A big eye-catcher at Carlisle on his second start over fences, FORTUNATE MAN looks ready to open his account over the larger obstacles in the William Hill Committed To Top Prices Handicap Chase.

Jonjo O’Neill’s charge was suited by the step up in trip in Cumbria and finished strongly when going down by a short-head to O'Connell. He’s completely unexposed as a staying chaser and a four pounds rise for his run last time looks very fair.

Long Draw – 2.38 Wincanton (Ben Linfoot)

Philip Hobbs has a good record in the Wincanton Pertemps qualifier on Boxing Day and his Thomas Mor is a fascinating contender on the back of 650 days off the track.

However, preference is for Olly Murphy’s LONG DRAW who was really impressive at Cheltenham two weeks ago in a similar standard of race, winning by five lengths on his first go at three miles. Up 7lb, Beau Morgan takes 5lb off and he’s 4/15 at 27% for Murphy.