December 26th, Kempton – 2.30 pm
This is part of the build-up at Kempton on Boxing Day to the big King George VI Chase. While the latter is going to be the real highlight of the day, there is a good line up going off in the preceding Christmas Hurdle which is a Grade 1 over two miles. This is the race which has produced some Champion Hurdle winners at Cheltenham. The most recent of which was Faugheen in 2015.
Christmas Hurdle 2019 Race odds*
Fusil Raffles 15/8
Verdana Blue 4/1
Epatante 5/1
Getaway Trump 7/1
Silver Streak 9/1
Elixir de Nutz 16/1
Ballyandy 16/1
QUick Grabim 25/1
Big Blue 100/1
* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on December 23rd, 2019 at 2:38 pm)
Nicky Henderson to prevail against at Kempton?
It has been back to back wins for trainer Nicky Henderson in the Christmas Hurdle. Last year it was with Verdana Blue. That followed a win for Buveur d’Air in 2017. So there’s a trend off the bat. Henderson is the most successful trainer in the history of the race. He has claimed 8 wins in his career and one of his horses have won all but three of the last nine editions. That’s form. Henderson has both Verdana Blue and Fusil Raffles at the head of the market this year. So his chances of taking another race win seem to be pretty high.
Fusil Raffles and Verdana Blue
Fusil Raffles is lining up as favourite at 15/8 odds* (betting odds taken from Bet365 on December 23rd, 2019 at 2:38 pm) and was out at Wincanton just at the start of November taking a win there over 1m 7f. He was the odds-on favourite there. Since he moved to Nicky Henderson, it has been three wins from three, one of them happening at Kempton earlier this year over 2m when he won by nine lengths.
Verdana Blue got the big win last season in this race as he beat out Buveur d’Air by a short head in a thrilling climax. This year has claimed a win in one of his four trips, which came at the Scottish Champion Hurdle in April. He hasn’t run since a fourth-place at Ascot in early May. To be fair he had way more form behind him going into last season’s Christmas Hurdle than he has this year.
Epatante
Here is another for Henderson and the French horse will be heading to Kempton on the back of a very good win as the 3/1 favourite at Newbury at the end of November. That was at distance as well in Class 1 company. It was a comfortable 6 length win on good to soft. He did have a run out at Kempton last November where he took a win over 2m. Epatnate has won five of his seven career races and has a trend of coming back fresh after long breaks, so his win at Newbury sets him up as a big challenger.
Getaway Trump and Silver Streak
The Paul Nicholls-trained Getaway Trump will be looking to step up a bit with his form. Since coming back from a 181 day break he has missed his step in two outings at Cheltenham where he finished 3/4 in both. He did have the form at the back end of last year with back to back wins at Plumpton and Exeter, and also two wins during April this year. In total it is four wins from four over the hurdles in his career.
Silver Streak, the only other horse in single figures at the time of writing, claimed a win on a renewal in October. That was at Kempton over 2m when he took an eight-length success over Beat The Judge. The six-year has a decent jump career behind him and was in great shape twelve months ago. Perhaps hasn’t pushed on enough since then but may have some each-way appeal for punters in the Christmas Hurdle.
Predictions
Four of the last five editions have been won by the favourite and it is hard to look past that again for this year’s running. There are some like Eptante with decent claims in the race, but with the form of Fusil Raffles, he is clearly the one to beat at 15/8 (betting odds taken from Bet365 on December 23rd, 2019 at 2:38 pm)
Bet365 ITV Racing 4/1 Offer
Back a single winner at odds of 4/1 or more on any race that is televised live on ITV Racing. You will then be able to play a wager to the same stake (up to £50) on the next race broadcast live and if that following selection loses, you will get a stake refunded. The Bet365 offer applies to the FIRST single bet placed by a customer on each race shown live on ITV Racing.
If the following bet were to also win at odds of 4/1 then the offer would roll on to the next qualifying race until the winning sequence at those minimum odds is broken. At that point, you would still end up with the receipt of a refund.
Key Terms & Conditions
Risk-free bets must be placed on the next eligible race using your own funds – if your bet loses then the stake will be refunded to your account shortly after the race.
Refund up-to £50 per race.
The first bet on a race will be deemed as your qualifying bet.
If you back the winner of the last race on any day, your risk-free bet will be the first bet you place on the next qualifying race.
Does not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out.
Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, any refund amount or subsequent risk free bet amount will be equal to the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, any refund amount will be equal to the new stake and not the original stake.
Where a risk free bet is changed using Edit Bet, no refund will be given and the offer will no longer apply.
Applies to bets placed on Win and Each-Way Fixed Odds markets and Enhanced Place markets.
Does not apply to Ante-Post bets and Tote/Pari-Mutuel (bets and dividends).
Bets can be paid for from either your Withdrawable Balance or Bet Credits. Bets placed from your Withdrawable Balance will be refunded to your Withdrawable Balance and bets placed with Bet Credits will be refunded as Bet Credits.
Risk-free bets must be placed on the next eligible race using your own funds – if your bet loses then the stake will be refunded to your account shortly after the race.
Refund up-to £50 per race.
The first bet on a race will be deemed as your qualifying bet.
If you back the winner of the last race on any day, your risk-free bet will be the first bet you place on the next qualifying race.
Does not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out.
Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, any refund amount or subsequent risk free bet amount will be equal to the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, any refund amount will be equal to the new stake and not the original stake.
Where a risk free bet is changed using Edit Bet, no refund will be given and the offer will no longer apply.
Applies to bets placed on Win and Each-Way Fixed Odds markets and Enhanced Place markets.
Does not apply to Ante-Post bets and Tote/Pari-Mutuel (bets and dividends).
Bets can be paid for from either your Withdrawable Balance or Bet Credits. Bets placed from your Withdrawable Balance will be refunded to your Withdrawable Balance and bets placed with Bet Credits will be refunded as Bet Credits.
