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| Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe |
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| Updated: 30th November 2009 - GG.com |
December's Winter Warmers
Speed thrills might well be the most fitting description for the first serious jumps action of December. The Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on December 5 supplies the game’s leading two-mile chasers with the chance to set their skills one against the other and I strongly suspect that Ireland’s top two-miler Big Zeb will come out on top up the Esher slopes.
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Reigning two-mile champion Master Minded will be missing on account of a stress fracture on a rib and that should leave the way clear for Big Zeb to beat Well Chief and Forpadytheplasterer. Colm Murphy’s charge would have beaten Master Minded at Punchestown but for a last-flight blunder and he possesses far more pace than Forpadytheplasterer who looks at times like a horse without an obvious trip.
Elsewhere on the same Sandown card Crack Away Jack and Somersby, two potentially high-class novice chasers, seems set to clash in the Henry VIII Chase and preference is for the latter who looked a speed type when winning so easily at Warwick on his chasing bow. Finally, look out for a low weight in the December Handicap Hurdle.
Over in Ireland on Sunday December 6 there should be a strong turn-out for the John Durkan Memorial Chase where Joncol and Cooldine could lock horns at Punchestown while over at Kelso on the same day Merigo and Gentle Ranger should be among the more fancied runners in the Scottish Borders National.
Top-class jumps action takes place at Cheltenham on December 12 with the Boylesports.com Gold Cup grabbing the headlines. This 2m 5f handicap might well be a re-run of the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Tranquil Sea and Poquelin, the first two home in that race, meeting once again at Prestbury Park. Watch out too for the seasonal debuts of Something Wells and Atouchbetweencara in the same race.
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In the Boylesports.com International Hurdle it will be hard to look beyond the powerful claims of Celestial Halo who should be too good for reigning Champion Hurdler Punjabi while the Irish challenge may well be spearheaded by the admirably tough Muirhead who tends to fall just below the best at this level. Over at Lingfield on the same day punters should monitor closely the result of the Summit Junior Hurdle at the Surrey Course because this graded prize often yields a smart juvenile hurdler.
The countdown to the Christmas action starts with Ascot’s superb two-day fixture that features the Long Walk Hurdle on December 19 and given the dearth of decent staying hurdlers this might well be an ideal race for Big Bucks, who would welcome the competition supplied by Diamond Harry now that trainer Nick Mitchell has decided what he wants to do with his stable star this season.
In the Ladbroke Hurdle Nicky Henderson may well be the man to side with after landing pre-Christmas gambles in this race with Sentry Duty and Jack The Giant in the past two seasons. Henderson seems to have developed a special affinity with this decent prize and whatever he chooses to run in the race must be looked at with the utmost interest.
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On Boxing Day, December 26, Kempton Park stages the King George VI Chase and yet again chaser supreme Kauto Star should be hard to beat as he bids to make this race his very own. He dominates the ante-post market at present and though he endured a hard race at Haydock when beating Imperial Commander, he looks bomb-proof around the sharp Sunbury course. In the Christmas Hurdle Starluck holds a leading chance though if Go Native were to run here instead of in Ireland over the holiday, backers need look no further for the winner.
On December 28 the Coral Welsh National occupies star billing and once again punters will be looking for a thorough stayer who jumps and gallops for the entire 3m 5f contest. Twelve months ago that plodder supreme Notre Pere landed the race for the Irish and maybe one year later the Emerald Isle can strike again with the Willie Mullins-trained Our Monty, who looks an ideal type for this marathon slog.
Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips
Archive November 2009
