Kempton’s two-day Christmas Festival and holiday meetings at Ascot and Newbury will now go ahead with no crowds Kempton’s two-day Christmas Festival meeting, including the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, has been forced to retreat behind closed doors following the announcement by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, that Surrey will move to the highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from Saturday.The track had been hoping to welcome up to 2,000 spectators for the always hugely popular King George, around 20% of the normal attendance for the highlight of the Christmas racing programme, despite being obliged to tell fans from Greater London to stay away from the meeting after the capital also moved to tier 3 earlier this week. Related:...
From the outskirts of London to Ireland, Wales and then Cheltenham, racing has lots to look forward to this ChristmasIf you’re about to overdo yourself in appalling fashion at the dining table, the healthiest way to work it all off may be to chase along to Sunbury on Boxing Day for a little light exercise. The circuit from paddock to bookmakers to grandstand is bound to do some good, if repeated at half-hourly intervals, and there will be thrilling action on the track to lend renewed vigour to your circulation. Continue reading...
It is odd for the reigning Gold Cup winner, Native River, to be so cold-shouldered in this big race at Kempton (3.05)As any schoolboy ought to know, Cheltenham and Kempton are very different tracks and horses which prosper at Prestbury are by no means certain to succeed in Sunbury. Still, it is odd indeed to see the reigning Gold Cup winner, Native River (3.05), being so cold-shouldered in the betting for this King George VI Chase.At the time of writing he is only sixth in the list with some firms, bigger in places than his stablemate Thistlecrack, who has not won for two years. He may not be the fastest or the flashiest in a fascinating field but Native River...
For all Cue Card’s achievements, he might be usurped as King George favourite by his upstart stablemate.I wonder if Thistlecrack is on his way to starting the King George VI Chase as favourite. I’d never have thought it would happen but the momentum in the betting market appears to be with him. Continue reading...
The trainer has revealed Thistlecrack runs in the King George and might mark the occasion with a winnerSetting aside issues relating to the King George (Thistlecrack runs!), Colin Tizzard has another reason to think of this as a big day. Finian’s Oscar (1.05) makes his debut for the Dorset trainer in a novice hurdle at Hereford, having been bought for £250,000 at auction last month. Continue reading...