The Racing Mind - Boxing Day Selections

A cracking day of racing on Boxing Day awaits us at Kempton, Leopardstown and Limerick plus other course have their fair share of action too. I will be glued to the sofa for the next 4 days after Christmas Day with Leopardstown offering unlimited clues for Cheltenham. Hopefully we can bag a few winners on Boxing Day to secure us in profit going onto the next 3 days which also include the Welsh National meeting at Chepstow.

12:45 Kempton - 2m (Winter) Play Ladbrokes 5-A-Side On Football Novices' Hurdle

This selection probably could of gone in the 'longshots' blog, however I've only just seen the value it offers now. I noted ROBELLI in my tracker as one to consider in his next outing with a view to a possible step up in trip. He runs at the minimum trip again, however his stable have form for improving a novice hurdler recently on the back of one run in Party Business (won at Ascot last weekend), and they could improve this gelding in the same form. He gets weight from the market leaders such as Broomfield Burg, and whilst the current 8/13f is the obvious horse to go with, it's not out the realms of possibility that weight may tell in these novice hurdles to swing in favour of potential outsiders. To give a penalty in a novice hurdle is no easy feat for many horses, especially immature horses who don't possess top class ability. Robelli may just be a horse who could improve from his run behind a decent sort in the Dan Skelton trained Hartur D'Oudaries (finished lame subsequent run), and I'll chance a small win at the 10's on offer.

ROBELLI - 1pt win @ 10/1 (General)

3:40 Kempton - 2m5f (Winter) Ladbrokes We Play Together Handicap Hurdle

This is my best bet of the day, and I have been waiting for her to step up in trip after 2 really solid runs this season. MARIE'S ROCK represents the bet of the day but the only thing that slightly puts me off is the fact she does hang left under pressure. It hasn't been so obvious to my eye on the run in, as it has to the chaps who do the race results, but I will take their word for it. Maries Rock, a one time possible Champion Hurdle contender last season after an impressive novice hurdle campaign which ended abruptly with an injury that put her out of Cheltenham when a major contender for the Dawn Run Novices Hurdle. She suffered a stop-start campaign where she started off 2/1f in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury in the first half of the season before running freely and not finishing off her race before showing nothing again at Doncaster in January. Her trainer still retains huge faith in her, when in the autumn he said she is still extremely talented and will win races this season. Mentioned previously, she has performed consistently so far including at Wetherby in a listed hurdle behind 2 decent mares rated 140+, and finishing a staying on 7th in a good edition of the Greatwood Hurdle which has already had it's form boosted with 5th place Tritonic winning last weekend at Ascot (2 lengths behind in the Greatwood). She looked like she would enjoy a step up in trip especially as she showed she has relaxed a lot more to her younger days, and the 2m5 at Kempton on a flatter track to Cheltenham will help her when he stamina will be tested here. Her breeding screams trips of 2m4+ (Milan x Flemensfirth), and after the handicapper dropped her 4lb after the Greatwood Hurdle run to 131, she has a cracking chance here against decent horses, but not world beaters. The only negatives that I can see are Nico De Boinville is riding the other stable companion and she may be suited to a left hang track, but she has already won at a right handed track in Taunton, so that evidence can be negated.

MARIE'S ROCK - 2pts e/w @ 15/2 (William Hill)

2:55 Leopardstown - 2m1f "Bet Through The Free Racing Post App" Handicap Chase

Henry De Bromhead is always known for improving his horses from novice hurdlers into good chasers, and he has a horse who might not reach the heights of his graded performers but could be a handy handicapper to follow off low weights in competitive handicaps. DEFAN, currently rated 119, he has been seriously under-estimated in the market given he looked set to go seriously close in his run at Thurles. Leading going into the final fence, he lacked concentration going into it due to the rider-less horse next to him and made a horrendous mistake before coming to an abrupt standstill. He notably picked up a handicap at Listowel in his previous race beating stablemate Zarkareva (fair chance if it's fairly dry) and a couple of other horses in behind who have performed consistently since in handicaps. A deluge of rain wouldn't be a massive positive but Leopardstown is usually dryer than most and soft ground wouldn't be bottomless. Off 119, he could run a big race if jumping cleanly and has to be considered at 14/1 with Skybet paying 5 places.

Another horse to consider as long as enough rain arrives for him is another De Bromhead gelding, TIGER VOICE. Rated 133, he may not have bundles in hand but if the rain arrives in a deluge and the ground becomes borderling soft/heavy with various amounts predicted on Christmas Day, I expect this to bring in Tiger Voice as a serious contender. Last seen at Galway, where he never travelled, the ground was probably too lively for him and he needs soft conditions to come into play here.

DEFAN - 1.5pts e/w @ 14/1 (Skybet paying 5 places)

If soft ground back as well - TIGER VOICE - 1pt e/w @ 11/1 (Bet365)

2:40 Limerick - 2m3½f (2m3f160y) BoyleSports Faugheen Novice Chase (Grade 1)

A cracking race for fans of the sport to enjoy, despite not offering a horse with the ability of the legendary Faugheen. The biggest worry for any punter in this race is the ground, with it set to be bottomless with rain on it's way to add to the already soft/heavy description. This will suit the current favourite Farouk D'Alene who devours the bottomless conditions and comes off the back of a decent win over fences against Blue Sari and Ashdale Bob. He also seems to prefer right handed tracks according to his novice hurdle days. At the prices however I'll chance the Jessica Harrington trained LIFETIME AMBITION, who has form himself at Limerick on bottomless conditions and his form suggests he has a tendency for right handed tracks too. It remains to be seen whether he wants heavy ground to be at his best, but despite disappointing last time out in the Drinmore on good ground, he might just be a horse who will glide through it and needs the right conditions to be at his best as well. I respect Gabynako hugely, but he might struggle in this ground whilst Vanillier might be a 3 miler and may not get away with it despite the conditions.

LIFETIME AMBITION - 1pt win @ 9/1 (Bet365)