There’s nothing quite like a stacked jumps racing card on Boxing Day – and 2022 delivered in spades yet again at Kempton Park’s annual December meet. With a spate of abandoned fixtures across Britain and Ireland due to inclement weather, the stacked seven-race Kempton card was front and center for avid and casual racing fans alike.
With that in mind, read on as we take a look at the outcomes from the meet’s four Grade 1 races in what was a thrilling afternoon of racing – and how the respective winners’ odds have been impacted for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in March as a result.
King George VI Chase
In what is the preeminent fixture on the schedule, the Grade 1 King George VI Chase is a three-mile affair open to horses four years and older – and has established itself as one of the most highly anticipated races on the jumps racing calendar. Widely regarded as the second most prestigious chase in England behind that of the Cheltenham Gold Cup – this year’s event lived up to the billing once again.
It was pre-race favorite Bravemansgame who came out on top, reigning supreme by 14 lengths from Royale Pagaille and Frodon. After keeping in touch with the leaders throughout most of the race, jockey Harry Cobden made his move three out and settled into second place. Cobden and Bravemansgame then took the lead with two hurdles remaining and finished strong to win comfortably.
As a result of his flawless display, the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old has firmed in the horse racing betting odds to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup. At the time of writing, Bravesmansgame sits as the fifth favorite at 7/1, while Galopin Des Champs is the hot favorite at 6/4.
Christmas Hurdle
While King George VI Chase is the main fixture on the card, a race that also garnered plenty of attention was the Christmas Hurdle. After Constitution Hill’s sublime performance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle in November – in which he won by 12 lengths – fans and pundits watched on with great interest to see if he could put forth a similar performance and add to his unbeaten streak.
The six-year-old phenom won with ease, defeating stablemate and two-time Christmas Hurdle victor Epatante. After yet another incredible run, the Nicky Henderson-trained horse solidified his favorite tag for the Cheltenham Festival’s Champion Hurdle.
The six-year-old is the short-priced favorite at 4/11, with State Man and two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle the second and third favorite at 4/1 and 9/1 respectively.
Kauto Star Novices’ Chase
Nine-year-old Thyme Hill secured his second win in three outings with a dominant win in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase. After being held up in the rear for the first half of the race, jockey Tom O’Brien pushed into second place four out from the finish. The pair proceeded to take the lead two out and stormed home to win by a dominant margin of 15 lengths from McFabulous and Mortlach – and in doing so – bagged their connections just shy of £60,000.
Thyme Hill’s performance at Kempton has excited bookies, with the Philip Hobbs-trained horse currently the second favorite to reign supreme in the three-mile novices’ chase at Cheltenham.
Long Walk Hurdle
Since his stellar form in late 2018 and 2019, in which he won seven consecutive races, Paisley Park has been relatively inconsistent over the past three seasons. However, the 11-year-old returned to the winner’s circle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day with a victory in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle.
With plenty to do with three hurdles remaining, the Emma Lavelle-trained horse showed there’s still plenty of stamina in his old legs as he put on an inspired performance that saw him rally up the straight to win by four-and-a-half lengths from Goshen and Champ.
Looking ahead to Cheltenham, despite Paisley Park’s strong showing on Boxing Day, he hasn’t drawn a huge amount of interest in the betting lines to win the Stayers’ Hurdle at the esteemed festival. For those who bet on horses, at the time of writing, Paisley Park is 16/1 to come away with the victory at Prestbury Park in March – which is good for a joint 11th favorite.
