MANY STARS OF the National Hunt racing scene will be out this Christmas.
Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Monday, Facile Vega in the Future Champions’ Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Tuesday, and hopefully A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Wednesday.
These horse are not about betting though. It never is really with these top horses. They’re not betting propositions. Not really. It is probable that you will glean more enjoyment out of watching Constitution Hill competing in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton if you don’t have a bet in the race than you will if you have taken some of the 1/7. And, as a very wise man once said, if you have the seven, do you really need the one?
He is remarkable though, Constitution Hill. The performances that he is putting up, the times that he is clocking. Ask anyone. And he has scared away all but four opponents in Monday’s race. Nicky Henderson’s horse has won his four hurdle races by an aggregate of 60 lengths — an average of 15 — he is an extraordinary racehorse, but he is a horse to watch and appreciate much more than concerning yourself with trying to find a betting angle.
Facile Vega is similar. Willie Mullins’ horse will have a maximum of five opponents in the Paddy Power Future Champions’ Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Tuesday, and three of his intended rivals are stable companions. Quevega’s son, and unbeaten in five runs, four in bumpers and one in a maiden hurdle, he is no better than 2/7 for Tuesday’s race, and no better than 5/4 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival now, two-and-a-half months before the race.
A Plus Tard is a little different in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday. Brilliant Gold Cup winner at Cheltenham in March, he was beaten on his seasonal return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month. That wasn’t his true running, however, his blood count was found afterwards to be all wrong, so there is every chance that he will bounce back in the Savills Chase.
This is a deep race though, as it usually is. Conflated won the Irish Gold Cup over the Savills course and distance last February under a super ride from Davy Russell – we’ll miss seeing him in the saddle over Christmas – and Gordon Elliott’s horse should come on for his seasonal debut at Down Royal, when he finished third behind Envoi Allen in the Champion Chase.
Galvin should do better too than he did at Down Royal. He finished only fourth in the end, it wasn’t his running. Gordon Elliott’s horse is better judged on the performance that he put up in winning the Savills Chase last year, when he dug deep under the ubiquitous Davy Russell and got up to beat A Plus Tard by a short head. He started off this season nicely too by winning a Grade 3 race at Punchestown and, back at Leopardstown, a track at which he is one for one, it is easy to see him bouncing back to form.
The exciting Gerri Colombe goes to Limerick for the Grade 1 Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase. Gordon Elliott’s horse has run six times, once in a point-to-point, twice in bumpers, twice over hurdles and once in a steeplechase, and he has won six times. He has never been beaten.
The Robcour gelding was good on his seasonal return last month, his first run since January, his first run over fences, when he won his beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse. His jumping was very good for a debutant that day, and he has the potential to make good progress now as a chaser.
He faces a worthy opponent on Monday though in Kilcruit. Willie Mullins’ horse was a top-class bumper horse, he finished second behind Sir Gerhard in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and he won the Champion Bumper at Punchestown, when he had Sir Gerhard behind him in third. He only won once in five attempts over hurdles last season, but he looked good in winning his beginners’ chase at Punchestown last month. It should be a really good race between the two of them, in a contest that has thrown up some intriguing matches in the past, like Master McShee v Farouk D’Alene last year and Faugheen v Samcro in 2019.
It’s a quadruple Grade 1 day at Kempton on Monday, the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle, re-routed from the Ascot freeze last Saturday, parachuted in to join the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle and the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Chase and the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.
The market tells you that there shouldn’t be much between Bravemansgame and L’Homme Presse in the King George. The former, who represents Paul Nicholls, who has won the race a record 12 times, was impressive in winning the Kauto Star Chase last year over the King George course and distance, and he looked good in winning the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his debut this season.
L’Homme Presse won the Brown Advisory Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and Venetia Williams’ horse put up an impressive weight-carrying performance in winning the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle under 12 stone last month on his seasonal return. More rain would probably enhance his chance further.
Don’t rule out Envoi Allen though. Henry de Bromhead’s horse did well to win the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal on his debut this season. Conflated and Galvin probably weren’t at their best that day, but it is difficult to argue that Kemboy didn’t run his race, and Kemboy is a top-class performer, a 161-rated horse who went into the race with race-fitness on his side.
Envoi Allen battled on well for Rachael Blackmore to get the better of Willie Mullins’ horse on the run-in that day, seeing out the three-mile trip well. It was only his second run over the trip, he remains unexposed at this distance, and Kempton should suit him well.