Today's Racing - Boxing Day

With the eight meetings all looked at and studied – the main races get the horse – by – horse treatment – here are the best of the rest for Boxing Day. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to all!

2 pts win Midnight Game, 12.50 Leopardstown (11/10 Bet365)

Gigginstown House Stud and Willie Mullins will be carrying much of the punters’ cash over Christmas and things can get off to a good start with classy flat recruit Midnight Game, who takes a drop in class from Grade 1 company.

Highly useful on the flat – a runner up twice at Listed level and winner twice otherwise – he didn’t make an expected winning debut when beaten by Corbally Ghost, who bumped into him in home straight, but he may well have had his momentum usurped by the bump he received after the last, and the winner has since gone onto win a Grade 3 at Cork.

He was left behind in the Royal Bond novice hurdle, but the first two are class acts and the third was a tough and consistent sort, so that effort doesn’t stack up too badly in this context, where his main threat would appear to be Competitive Edge, although his form may not be as strong as some think (Jenari has proven a little disappointing over hurdles and was since beaten again) while Thelze didn’t show a huge amount on his Irish debut at Limerick.

2 pts win Swincombe Flame, 2.15 Wincanton (4/6 general) 

Nick William’s Swincombe Flame can cope with a penalty and win her second race over hurdles here. The 5 year old mare made it three from four when landing a novice event at the beginning of this month, following a good reappearance in a strong race. She holds Tante Sissi (who gave that form a strong collateral look when running well in a good novice hurdle at Sandown) based on her bumper form, while she was finished ahead of Queens Bay when second on her opening run over hurdles and that form was boosted when Colin Tizzard's mare struck last time. She could open up odds on but the forecast is for 10/11 and that should be snapped up.

1 pt win Rangitoto, 3.20 Wincanton (4/5 general)

Paul Nicholls has a huge amount of promising horses but he’s found no end of good openings for them and this represents a good opportunity for Ragintoto to open his account over the bigger obstacles.

Beaten twice before opening his account over hurdles last year, Paul Barber’s 6 year old landed a significant gamble on his handicap debut at Cheltenham when staying on strongly to get the better of a previous winner and 120 rated rival. He should come on for that again and should take the beating here, while Trenchant sure to be his main rival.

1 pt win Problema Tic, 1.00 Fontwell (8/11 general) 

Nicky Henderson is sure to have more important matters on his mind with runners at Kempton but he should be more than capable to giving Andrew Tinkler a comeback winner with promising recruit Problema Tic.

Unbeaten in three bumpers, he had Grade 1 winner Saint Are behind on his hurdles debut before disappointing only slightly on his next two starts, but both were good contests and this is a much easier opportunity. 

1 pt William Hill’s Boxing Day Treble (Grands Crus 2.00 Kem / Swincombe Flame 2.15 Win / Long Run 3.10 Kempton)

There are plenty of good specials available today but by far the most interesting one was the Boxing Day treble at William Hill are offering above of Grands Crus, Swincombe Flame, and Long Run.

Two of the three have already been selected on the main page and their chances look obvious, despite strong opposition. Grands Crus gave 7lbs and a beating to the highly liked Sonofvic, and while the World Hurdle runner up hasn’t gone left handed since his novice hurdle days, he’s improved upwards of 20lbs since and nothing suggests it should be a major problem. Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti look like big threats but you could hardly be blamed for thinking he was a good RSA Chase favourite, which gives him a puncher’s chance at least here.

Swincombe Flame is just a little badly in with Tante Sissi on bumper form, but has transferred that at least as well to hurdles with an excellent win at Exeter last time and stands a strong chance even under a penalty on that form.

The chance of Long Run, who is the best choice based on personal bests in the King George, may not be the selection for this race but is surely worth including based on his romps in this and the Gold Cup last season, and should strip much fitter for his comeback behind Kauto Star at Haydock.

Taken into account, the chance of all 3 winning looks to be a lot better than 17/2 and it’s well worth having as general interest at the very least.