Horse Racing Tips: Paddy’s best backed runners for the Christmas Festivals

The traders are on red alert for these Christmas crackers on both sides of the Irish Sea.

Savills-Chase-Leopardstown-at-Christmas

By / Horse Racing Tips / 7 months ago

Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

Paddy’s 5 best-backed horses for Christmas

Tuesday, December 26th
13:20: Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Kempton – Il Est Francais
14:30: King George, Kempton, – The Real Whacker

Wednesday, December 27th
13:45: Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown – Down Memory Lane
14:50: Welsh Grand National, Chepstow – Super Survivor

Thursday, December 28th
14:25: Savills Chase, Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs

13:20 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Kempton, December 26

The superlatives have been flying around for French horse IL EST FRANCAIS for some time and the market has been dominated by him with Paddy laying bets for the five-year-old as soon as the race went on site.

It’s marvellous that English race goers are set to see this top-class performer for the first time in the flesh and his chasing career has begun brilliantly with two very easy wins at Auteuil in decent company this year.

Still only five years old, this chap won five of his six hurdle starts including a Grade 1 at the same French venue last year and he’s a very decent prospect over the bigger obstacles for trainer James Reveley.

The best ground that he has ever run on in his native land is soft, but despite that slight reservation, punters have been happy to get stuck into him.

14:30 King George, Kempton, December 26

THE REAL WHACKER is currently our biggest loser in the King George and with some doubt about who will run at the front end of the market, punters have helped themselves to big prices on a certain runner who was a 33-1 chance in mid-November.

Patrick Neville’s stable star, who won the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, suffered his first loss over fences in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at the same track last month when pulled up by Sam Twiston-Davies after the third last.

However, there could be valid excuses for that performance as the Mahler gelding was making his seasonal debut carrying top weight in a highly competitive handicap and was also found to have been struck into and lame on his right fore after the contest.

      13:45 Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown, December 27

      It could be revealing that unbeaten DOWN MEMORY LANE has been very well-backed and heads the market for this contest despite having had only one start over timber when comfortably justifying long odds-on favouritism in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal last month.

      It’s anybody’s guess about the merits of that form, but as the Walk In The Park gelding is owned by legendary owner and gambler JP McManus, the support may well tell its own story, and a big performance is clearly expected by some of Gordon Elliott’s runner.

      He was also a winning favourite on his other two starts in a point and a Fairyhouse bumper and an impressive victory here could give us a few more clues as to which novice hurdle he might go for at the Cheltenham Festival.

      14:50 Welsh Grand National, Chepstow, December 27 

      With a hoof infection forcing ante-post fav Monbeg Genius to serve the contest, SUPER SURVIVOR has shot to the top of the market in this historic stamina test. To be fair, it’s probably been his target since he won a novices’ handicap chase by five lengths at the same fixture last year.

      Throw in the fact that his trainer Jamie Snowden has proved a dab hand at winning these prestigious handicaps in the last couple of seasons, landing last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup with Ga Law and more recently scooping the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury with Datsalrightgino, then there’s a lot to like about this fellow.

      He’s been placed on two runs since last year’s victory, including last time when runner-up in a handicap chase at Lingfield last month, and that leafy Lingfield outing looked a magnificent pipe opener for this event after 248 days off games and the step up in trip should suit a son of Shantou.

      14:25 Savills Chase, Leopardstown, December 28

      Many racing enthusiasts would consider this a match between Gold Cup hero GALOPIN DES CHAMPS and Fastorslow with the money coming for the latter.

      Martin Brassil’s charge has now beaten the reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner on their last two starts, both of those victories coming at Punchestown with the last meeting being over the shorter trip of 2m 4f.  This contest back over 3m should be extremely informative ahead of the 2024 Gold Cup in three months.

      Fastorslow’s first victory over ‘Galopin’ at the Punchestown Festival was something of a shock at 20-1 when he rated 154. His second win though with a mark of 164, proved it was no fluke.

      Despite those victories, the handicapper still has ‘Galopin’ 10lb ahead of Fastorslow in the ratings in what is becoming a fascinating rivalry.

      Paddy’s 5 best-backed horses

      Tuesday, December 26th
      13:20: Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, Kempton – Il Est Francais
      14:30: King George, Kempton, – The Real Whacker

      Wednesday, December 27th
      13:45: Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle, Leopardstown – Down Memory Lane
      14:50: Welsh Grand National, Chepstow – Super Survivor

      Thursday, December 28th
      14:25: Savills Chase, Leopardstown – Galopin Des Champs

      All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

      Odds quoted on the widget are Future Racing / Antepost prices which means that if your selection does not run in the race for whatever reason – you will lose your stake under traditional Antepost rules.

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