'Hard to beat' - Cracking Christmas bets for the festive season There’s top-class racing on offer on both sides of the Irish Sea during the Christmas period and that’s enough to get any racing fan excited. The highly prestigious King George VI Chase takes centre stage in Britain on St Stephen's Day, which is well supported by the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and the Christmas Hurdle, whilst Leopardstown and Limerick host four-day meetings in Ireland, which are not to be missed. We’ve picked out a Nap, next best and an outsider to follow across Britain and Ireland over Christmas, one of which is a potentially well handicapped Nicky Henderson runner. Nap: Noble Park (12.45 Kempton - St Stephen's Day) @ 11/4 Top trainer Nicky Henderson has been in fine form ahead of the festive period and that certainly bodes well for some of the big names that are set to be unleashed from Seven Barrows over Christmas. Noble Park has taken very well to fences and should be hard to beat if lining up at Kempton on St Stephen's Day. Kempton’s opening race is a competitive novices’ handicap chase and it usually produces some very smart types. This horse failed to win in six starts over hurdles and was also well beaten in a bumper at Sandown on debut. A fair second in a heavy ground Sandown novice in January, that was the closest he came to getting off the mark over hurdles and it was a reasonable effort. He bumped into a progressive sort when second on handicap debut at Warwick after that and the winner went on to place at the Punchestown Festival. Noble Park also ran there but he failed to fire on the day and finished well down the field. It was a very different story once connections sent him over fences though and he won an average race in good style at Hereford in November, having been very well backed on the day. He jumped a little to his left but it was a smooth performance on the whole. A 6lb rise proved to be insignificant when he ran in a Class 3 event at Lingfield after that and his performance was outstanding. Far too good for them, he travelled powerfully, jumped well and pulled 24 lengths clear of the runner-up as he crossed the line. The handicapper has responded with an 11lb rise but that doesn’t look anywhere near harsh enough and he should be very hard to beat. Vanderpoel was second to him at Lingfield and he has boosted the form by winning since. Next Best: The Yellow Clay (1.55 Leopardstown - Sunday) @ 8/1 Gordon Elliott has maintained a high level of form in recent weeks and he’ll be looking to take full advantage as the Willie Mullins yard isn’t firing on all cylinders just yet. The Yellow Clay was a very smart novice last season and he’s one to watch in the staying division. The New Lion only just got the better of him in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season, but Elliott’s gelding lost nothing in defeat. Final Demand could only manage third that day and we all know how good he is. Clearly he needed the run when beaten on seasonal debut and the six-year-old he can make his presence felt if taking a step forward here. Outsider: Storming George (1.05 Aintree - St Stephen's Day) @ 25/1 There are some smart horses amongst the entries for this race, including ante-post Supreme favourite Mydaddypaddy, but one who may have been overlooked in the market is outsider Storming George. He’s a bumper winner and he left a very good impression when winning over hurdles at Doncaster last time. There should be loads more to come from him.
