Five under-the-radar runners to follow over Christmas Racing fans are going to have their pick of top-class racing over the Christmas period and both Britain and Ireland have lots to offer. Plenty of big guns will be out on show but we’ve got some potential runners over the festive period who may have snuck under the radar. Our five selections could surprise a few but shouldn’t be easily dismissed. Kargese - Racing Post Novice Chase (Leopardstown) Willie Mullins’ Kargese is a very talented mare on her day and she won two Grade 1s as a juvenile hurdler, including the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown. Her mark was protected a little the following season and she only ran once before Cheltenham. That plan worked however, as she went on to win the County Hurdle by a length-and-a-half. She looked badly in need of the run on her seasonal reappearance at Cork earlier this month and a much better effort is anticipated, if she lines up in this Grade 1 contest. Banbridge - King George VI Chase (Kempton) Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge was unproven over three miles before last year’s King George but Paul Townend timed his stalking ride to perfection and he arrived late to spoil the Il Est Francais party. That was a career best effort and he has to be considered with that in mind. It could end up being a much stronger renewal this year but he looks like a solid each-way candidate. He was never competitive over two miles at Cork last time but that run definitely isn’t an accurate reflection of his ability. Only By Night - Paddy's Rewards Club Chase (Leopardstown) Only By Night has only had six starts over hurdles so far and Gavin Cromwell’s mare has won four of those and finished second on the other two occasions. This daughter of Affinisea contested some of the top two-mile novice chases last season and might be even better now. She ran a stormer to finish second in the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and was second again at Punchestown the following month. There was lots to like about her game success at Naas on seasonal debut and there could be even more to come. Jimmy Du Seuil - Faugheen Novice Chase (Limerick) This six-year-old was perfectly prepared for a Coral Cup bid by trainer Willie Mullins in March. Presumably in an effort to protect his handicap mark, connections decided against giving him any sort of prep run and the plan was perfectly executed. Jimmy Du Seuil was runner-up to Ballyburn in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2024 and made no mistake in handicap company the following year. He beat The Big Westerner when making his first start over fences and is entitled to progress further. The Yellow Clay - Christmas Hurdle (Leopardstown) Gordon Elliott has been firing in winners in the last couple of months and has some nice horses to run over the Christmas period, including the likes of Romeo Coolio. The Yellow Clay has been unfairly overlooked off the back of his reappearance. He was a top-class novice hurdler last term and only just lost out to The New Lion in the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham. Below-par at Navan last month, he’s likely to improve significantly for the run and could be one to follow in this division.
