Horseracing Betting Briefing: December 28 - January 3

General / Andrew Hughes / 28 December 2008 / Leave a Comment

The Festive season is a stamina test for the punter, more gruelling than three laps of Aintree's National course in an ankle deep bog. It isn't easy to keep up your punting discipline when you are expected to spend time socialising with your nearest and dearest. Andrews Hughes discusses the practicalities of betting at this time of year and looks ahead to a busy week.

It isn't easy to peruse the form through a port-induced haze whilst brushing mince pie crumbs from the racing pages. But we punters are a hardy lot and, like Tony McCoy, we ply our trade all year round. So limber up your punting muscles, take a couple of indigestion tablets and prepare for another week's top racing action.

Sunday 28th December

Leopardstown is the destination for today's best racing as their festive meeting enters its third day. The Lexus Chase has become a real favourite at this time of year and a viable alternative to the King George for connections of the best staying chasers. Once monopolised by that grand old Irish stalwart, Beef or Salmon, last year this race went to 'The Tank' himself, Denman, en route to Cheltenham glory. This time round, there are a couple of Gold Cup contenders in Exotic Dancer and Neptune Collognes attempting to carry the prize back over the Irish Sea.

As well as the main event, there is also the Knight Frank Novice Chase. This race usually brings together some of the best staying novices around and this year's field features the exciting three times winner Trafford Lad. And don't miss the Christmas Hurdle, a top quality three mile contest for some of the best staying hurdlers which is likely to include World Hurdle contender Catch Me.

Finally, if you get a chance, check out the Doran's Pride Novices Hurdle down at picturesque Limerick. This Grade Three event is sure to turn into a real stamina test for these young horses with the going likely to be on the squelchy side of soft.

Monday 29th December

The final day of the Leopardstown extravaganza features a couple of intriguing races that shouldn't be missed. The December Festival Hurdle is a Grade One over two miles for the cream of the speediest hurdlers and there are some mouthwatering entries this year. Star names Sizing Europe and Celestial Halo are likely to line up against the older generation of Harchibald, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace in what could be a thriller. And you should also try and catch the Listed Mares Hurdle run over two-and-a-half miles which features a large field of young horses and should be a highly competitive betting heat.

Meanwhile, at Newbury there's the Challow Novices Hurdle, yet another top class hurdling event for staying novices, with promising types such as Diamond Harry and Massasoit set to line up at the Berkshire track.

Thursday 1st January

Bring in the new year in the best way possible with a great card from the home of jumps racing. This Cheltenham meeting features a number of fascinating races. The Dipper Novices' Chase features a clutch of closely matched novices, including a couple from the all-powerful Paul Nicholls stable: Breedsbreeze and Kicks For Free. There is also a Listed Bumper race to decipher whilst the Skybet.com Handicap Chase is a typically competitive Grade Three handicap with a packed field.

Saturday 3rd January

Just the one top class meeting today, at Sandown, but it fully deserves the spotlight. The classiest races on the card are over hurdles. The Tolworth is a Grade One run over a little more than two miles which ranks second only to the Supreme Novices in the pecking order of Novices Hurdles, whilst the Listed Anne Boleyn Mares' Hurdle is a decent two-and-a-half mile test for some promising animals. And as you would expect for a Saturday, there are some highly competitive handicaps to get stuck into with a brace of Class Two handicap chases, over two and three miles respectively and a handicap hurdle over two miles. Expect large fields of closely-handicapped horses and a frenetic betting market.