Boxing Day Bonanza: Tom Collins pinpoints eight horses for your festive combination bet

If you are a horse racing fan that likes quantity and quality, there are very few days in the year that compare to Boxing Day. 

A whopping total of 77 races from 11 different tracks will grace your television screens as you munch Christmas leftovers alongside family and/or friends. Talk about festive joy…

I’m sure that singles, accumulators and different combination bets will be carefully thought out and placed by the majority of you reading this, so hopefully I can lend a helping hand by pinpointing eight horses that are worth a second look! Let’s get to it.

12.45 Kempton, 3m½f Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle

The rearranged Long Walk Hurdle will be contested by just five horses, and the defection of Botox Has should enable outsider Not So Sleepy to set the early fractions. Should he go relatively slowly, last year’s third Paisley Park will be the most inconvenienced as he is prone to hitting a flat spot. 

Champ currently owns the Long Walk crown and must have a great chance of winning back-to-back renewals. The delay in running this race due to frost aids his chance (he is best when fresh), while he has the perfect mix of speed and stamina to thrive around Kempton.

Selection: Champ @ 3.25

1.00 Wetherby, 2m3½f handicap hurdle

Sporting Mike is my best bet on Boxing Day - if he justifies favouritism, you will be hearing me cheer! Ben Pauling’s five-year-old has only had four runs under rules since he won a point-to-point last November, and is now really starting to warm up to the game.

His penultimate third at Bangor was full of promise and he duly went two places better when last seen at Southwell on handicap debut. The step up to two-and-a-half miles clearly helped him that day and a subsequent 10lb rise definitely won’t stop him backing up given the ease of his success. 

Selection: Sporting Mike @ 3.7

2.03 Wincanton, 2m4f handicap chase

Trainer Robert Walford has always held Ede’iffs Elton in high regard, but he has unfortunately failed to perform to the expected level on the track. However, this three-time winner boasts an excellent record around Wincanton (form figures of 911214) and he got within a neck of winning the feature staying handicap chase on this card last year.

Ede’iffs Elton bounced back from a couple of incompletions with a good third in a stronger race than this at Exeter last time and appears primed to strike off a mark of 117. He could be the best value bet of the afternoon at one of the lesser meetings.

Selection: Ede’iffs Elton @ 8.6

2.30 Kempton, 3m Grade 1 King George VI Chase

Paul Nicholls is a dab hand at preparing one of his star chasers to win the Boxing Day highlight, the Grade 1 King George VI Chase. The Ditcheat trainer has won this race no fewer than 12 times, including back-to-back editions with Clan Des Obeaux (2018/19) and Silviniaco Conti (2013/14) in the last decade.

Bravemansgame: Paul Nicholls' star chaser looks tailor-made for the King George VI Chase

He runs two horses in this year’s contest: Bravemansgame and Hitman. The former is perhaps the best jumper of a regulation fence in England and really impressed me with his performance in the Charlie Hall last month. A repeat of that display should be good enough to beat this field, especially given Kempton will suit him far better than most.

Selection: Bravemansgame @ 3.4

2.35 Newcastle, 2m4f handicap chase

After watching the replay several times, I remain perplexed as to how the Dan Skelton-trained Heltenham failed to win his last race at Southwell. This five-year-old fairly tanked through the early part of the race and weaved his way through the field with several good leaps, only to come up short behind the runaway pacesetter.

The handicapper gave him a 2lb penalty for finishing second, which seems a little harsh on paper, but he beat the third-home by 23 lengths and is surely well-handicapped. Skelton doesn’t send too many horses up to Newcastle, but he’s usually pretty successful when he does (10-40, 25%, in the last five years).

Selection: Heltenham @ 5.2

3.35 Wolverhampton, 7f handicap

It wouldn’t be a standard Tom Collins tipping piece without mention of some flat racing. The first of two Wolverhampton plays is Revolutionise in this 7f handicap.

Stuart Williams’ sprinter spent a long time in the doldrums, but justified strong market support (punted from 12-1 into 10-3 in the last two minutes before the off) when last seen at this venue off a mark of just 75. He has been forced to miss two engagements since due to abandonments and is now pitched into this better contest off bottomweight. From a good draw in stall one, he can back up his recent victory.

Selection: Revolutionise @ 4.8

3.40 Kempton, 2m5f handicap hurdle

Those of you heading to Kempton for some festive cheer might need a ‘get out of trouble’ winner, and Grey Dawning could be just that. This handicap hurdle features numerous improvers, none more so than this five-year-old, who has won three of his four starts under rules.

He beat Lallygag on most recent outing Exeter, and that rival has subsequently bolted up at Taunton to take his seasonal tally to three. Grey Dawning has been given a mark of just 123, which looks extremely lenient given he’s already run to that level and is sure to improve, and should relish this step up in trip.

Selection: Grey Dawning @ 4.2

5.20 Wolverhampton, 1m4f handicap

Fingers crossed we end the day with a winner as I strongly fancy the Mick Appleby-trained Crimson King in Wolverhampton’s finale. This well-bred stayer has developed into an all-weather specialist and posted his last two successes off marks of 69 and 75. 

He hasn’t won on his last five outings, but that has forced the handicapper to drop him back down to just 72 and I thought he showed plenty of spark when last seen at Lingfield. There isn’t much depth in this race and Haku’s presence should mean we get a good price about Crimson King, who has drawn well and should go very close.

Selection: Crimson King @ 12

Boxing Day Horse Racing Tips

Champ (12.45 Kempton) @ 3.25
Sporting Mike (1.00 Wetherby) @ 3.7
Ede’iffs Elton (2.03 Wincanton) @ 8.6
Bravemansgame (2.30 Kempton) @ 3.4
Heltenham (2.35 Newcastle) @ 5.2
Revolutionise (3.35 Wolverhampton) @ 4.8
Grey Dawning (3.40 Kempton) @ 4.2
Crimson King (5.20 Wolverhampton) @ 12