Kempton Christmas Festival Tips

When the Kempton Christmas Festival draws near, horse racing betting fans come from around the United Kingdom and Ireland to visit this magnificent racecourse. Over the course of the two days, the racing looks to live-up to expectations with a fantastic Christmas racing offering. The event starts at 12:45pm with the Handicap Steeple Chase and ends the following day at 15:40 with the Mares Handicap Hurdle but between those two races there are 10 top events to view.

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Kempton Christmas Festival Day 1 Tips

Kempton's Boxing Day meeting is a Christmas tradition, with so many famous performances in the feature King George VI Chase down the years. The whole card is one of immense quality, with two other Grade 1s supplementing the feature.

Here are tips for all six Boxing Day races at Kempton, including the big race at 2.30.

12.45pm – Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Novices' Limited Handicap Chase (2m4½f)

This is always an indicative novices' handicap chase. IDALKO BIHOUE has already won one of those, a race at Cheltenham's October meeting that had the likes of Railway Hurricane and Ginny's Destiny in behind. He remains with some room for improvement, including in his jumping which is already so much better than on his debut in this sphere. He can take this on the way to top handicaps or perhaps even Graded races.

Selection: Idalko Bihoue

1.20pm – Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase (Grade 1 - 3m)

French raider Il Est Francais has been backed into favouritism here. He has been effortless in beating not a lot in his homeland, so this will provide a completely different test and there is little allowance for that in his price. Instead, HERMES ALLEN is taken to land another running of this race for Paul Nicholls. This horse made a really impressive chasing debut at Newbury last time, making useful horses look ordinary. On Racing Post Ratings, he already has an 11lb advantage on Il Est Francais so the favourite will be forced to improve.

Selection: Hermes Allen

1.55pm – Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1 - 2m)

It will not pay to get cute in this race, mishap aside for overwhelming favourite CONSTITUTION HILL. He is the best hurdler around by a huge margin and perhaps the most talented horse to cut it in this sphere for a generation. He was an easy, 12-length winner of this race last year and he has scared away all worthy opposition. He has 20lb and upwards on the field here and is unlikely to come off the bridle.

Selection: Constitution Hill

2.30pm – Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1 - 3m)

Paul Nicholls is by some way the most successful trainer in this race's history. For that reason, you would be far more inclined to forgive defending champion BRAVEMANSGAME his transgressions so far this season. It is likely, as it was last season, that the first part of his season has been all about Kempton on Boxing Day. All of his rivals have questions to answer, too, so it is not as though he is being given the benefit of the doubt. Allaho has been seen out only once in the last 18 months, while Shishkin is not guaranteed to want to race at all.

Selection: Bravemansgame

3.05pm – ladbrokeslive.co.uk To Win Free Music Tickets Maiden Hurdle (2m)

Nicky Henderson has unleashed some of his best novice hurdle prospects at this meeting down the years. He might be about to do it again with GENTLEMAN'S RELISH. This horse was sent off at 7-2 for a warm Newbury bumper on his debut in March and made no mistake back there last month, winning by six lengths. None of those in this race with hurdling experience have comparable form, so this could be another for Henderson.

Selection: Gentleman's Relish

3.40pm – Ladbrokes Get Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Hurdle (2m5f)

EMAILANDY is a fascinating entrant in this handicap hurdle. He is a very well-bred sort, and has been given a hurdles mark after just two runs. Considering he was beaten just two lengths in a warm novice at Newbury's big December meeting on the second of those, the handicapper could have been a lot more unforgiving than to hand him a mark of 127. It could be that Paul Nicholls signs off on King George day with another winner.

Selection: Emailandy

Kempton Christmas Festival Day 2 Tips

12.45pm – Ladbrokes Boost Your Odds On Racing Handicap Hurdle (2m)

On the strength of his convincing wins in the pointing field, bumpers and on his hurdling debut, ROCK HOUSE went off 3-1 for the Persian War Novices' Hurdle on his most recent run. He was beaten nearly ten lengths that day, no disgrace but perhaps a bit below expectations. He has had wind surgery since then and is attractively handicapped off a mark of 127. He remains extremely unexposed and may well be using this as a launchpad to big handicap hurdles in the spring.

Selection: Rock House

1.20pm – ladbrokeslive.co.uk To Win Free Music Tickets "Introductory" Juvenile Hurdle (2m)

The dogs have been barking about SIR GINO ahead of his British debut. He won a Listed hurdle for debutants at Auteuil in April and has subsequently been bought and sent to Nicky Henderson's yard. He has this field held on that form anyway, but is open to any amount of improvement in the meantime and is hard to look past here.

Selection: Sir Gino

1.55pm – Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase (Grade 2 - 2m)

It will be interesting to see the clash of styles between Nickle Back and MASTER CHEWY over this course. It is fancied that the former's aggressive style will help get the best from the latter, so he is fancied to get the better of this match-up in a small-field Grade 2. The experience the selection has gained in handicaps, including against fully-fledged chasers, will help him too.

Selection: Master Chewy

2.30pm – Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (Grade 2 - 2m)

This race is a handicap for the first time this year. You might think that works against defending champion EDITEUR DU GITE, as he is now topweight and has to concede weight to his rivals. However, the change in conditions has scared away horses like Edwardstone, who went off favourite last year. As the result of a few poor runs, Editeur Du Gite is carrying quite a few pounds less than he would otherwise have had to shoulder. If he returns to his best, he ought to win this for the second year in a row.

Selection: Editeur Du Gite

3.09pm – Ladbrokes Get Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase (3m)

It was at this track last autumn where DALAMOI stamped himself a young chaser to follow. Fate has intervened since, he has not had a great chance to build on his initial success. However, he was clearly thought to be getting there ahead of his reappearance in the Welsh National Trial. He was backed into favourite that day, but did not get home. Given he is bred to stay 3m-plus, it is fair to put that performance down to a lack of fitness more than anything else. Now with that run behind him, he can improve back at the track where he looked so promising on his last visit.

Selection: Dalamoi

3.40pm – Ladbrokes Fanzone Mares' Handicap Hurdle (3m½f)

MARTHA BRAE started improving in the spring and is expected to pick up the thread again now. She went off a big price at Newbury on her reappearance then faced a stiff task in a Listed race here last time. She sneaked a bit of black type that day and can now get back to the handicaps in which she thrives.

Selection: Martha Brae

Alternatively, check out some of the other betting options below.

Horse Racing Betting

Horse Racing Tips

More Kempton Racecourse Tips

Kempton Christmas Festival: Day 1 Racecard

Kempton Christmas Festival: Day 2 Racecard