The festive period is always an exciting time for horse racing fans. While the flat racing season was definitely exciting, the thrill of the biggest National Hunt races always seems to have that special edge around them — especially after a year of coronavirus restrictions forcing races behind closed doors. With races set to feature a capacity crowd at the time of writing, there will be plenty of opportunities for jockeys and trainers to upset the Betdaq horse racing betting across the Christmas period. Read on as we go through some of the best group one races.
Kauto Star Novices’ Chase
Stretching back to the 1970s, the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase is almost approaching its 50th anniversary and while the race has been abandoned a few times due to snowy conditions, the race is set to be run this year. The entertainment on offer is undeniable in years gone by and this race looks to be no exception.
Current champion Shan Blue is expected to return, with plenty of competition out to take the top prize over the fiercely competitive three miles in Shepperton. While predictions for the Kauto Star are always hard to make due to the plethora of quality horses, jockeys and trainers, it’s certainly hard to look past the Dan Skelton trained Shan Blue. But we think there is certainly the possibility of an upset on the cards and a new champion going the distance come Boxing Day
Christmas Hurdle
For any horse over four, the Christmas Hurdle is a prestigious accolade to finish the year off in style. Having been ran since 1969 at Kempton Park, the two-mile race last saw the Evan Williams-trained Silver Streak pick up the prize money. However, this year many are backing Tritonic. The four-year-old has enjoyed a great year so far, with manager Iain Turner admitting the entry was last minute but he can get the job done.
“We’ll see how he is later in the week and if the handicapper puts us up what we are expecting then we won’t have much to find with some of them, so why not?” he said.
“Straight after Saturday’s race the plan was to wait until the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury and that will probably remain the plan, but if we weren’t looking at this we wouldn’t be doing our jobs. If we weren’t in it and we watched a four-runner race, we’d be asking ourselves why aren’t we in it. At this stage I’d say he’s a probable runner.”
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is certainly one of the biggest races of the National Hunt season and is expected to feature an abundance of group one winners including Clan Des Obeaux, Minella Indo and Frodon. Last year saw Paul Nicholls claim victory with Frodon but simply looking at the last few races as well as the flat season that came and went seemingly in a flash, you wouldn’t be surprised if we saw an upset in this three-mile race and with some of the best jockeys and trainers around set to be in attendance, an exciting race is definitely on the cards.
