The UK’s Winter weather is in full effect, with Storm Bram causing travel chaos up and down the island. The bad weather also caused trouble in Ireland, with a meeting at Punchestown cancelled because of warnings.
However, there are some meetings on the horizon this festive season that should get bettors excited, with the best betting sites already offering prices on the King George VI Chase and the Welsh Grand National.
Early indications from the Met Office suggest that we can expect a relatively mild and wet run up to Christmas, and as long as the downpours aren’t too serious, that could bode well for upcoming meetings, and horses that favour heavy conditions could be worth looking at.
King George VI Chase
The King George VI Chase is often described as the jewel of the Christmas calendar, with the Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase set to take place at Kempton Park at 14:30. The Boxing Day race is open to horses that are four and older. The turf race is a key jumps fixture, run over 3 miles, or 4,828 meters, with 18 fences in total.
First run in 1937, the race has a total prize fund of £260,050, with the winner scooping £148,098. Last year’s winner was the Joseph O’Brien-trained Banbridge, jockeyed by Paul Townend, with Kauto Star the most successful horse in the race’s history, winning a total of five times in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011. Only Nicky Henderson’s Long Run in 2010 was able to break up the horse’s incredible dominance during this period.
The right-handed track is relatively flat, but untested horses are rarely successful, with distance runners typically performing well. Bettors hoping to watch the action in person can enjoy tickets varying from £18 for the Festival Enclosure, right up to £125 to enjoy the view and facilities of the Kauto Club.
This year’s early 15/8 favourite is Gaelic Warrior, a 7-year-old trained by WP Mullins with 20 wins under its belt from 36 races. Jango Baie is narrowly behind at 2/1, with the 6-year-old trained by Nicky Henderson currently sitting on a 50% win rate from its 10 races.
Coral Welsh Grand National
The Coral Welsh Grand National is set to take place on December 27th at the Chepstow Racecourse, and is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase that is run over 6,154 meters, or 3 miles 6.5 furlongs and 130 yards. The meeting has a total of 7 races, starting at 12:00, with the last race’s start time set for 15:25.
This historic race is the centrepiece of the Welsh racing calendar, and dates back to 1895 when it was first run at the Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. The event spent 1 year at the Newport Racecourse after World War II, before moving to Chepstow in 1949, where it has stayed ever since.
Worth £170,000, this is the richest race in Wales, and last year saw the seven-year-old Val Dancer win. The horse was ridden by Charlie Hammond and trained by Mel Rowley. The race is open to horses that are four years and older, and the left-handed track has a turf surface.
The current 6/1 favourite is the 8-year-old gelding Jubilee Express, trained by Sam Thomas. Despite having just 3 wins from its 14 races, the horse finished second in the race last year and will be hoping to go one better this time around.
According to bookmakers, Jubilee Express’s biggest challenger will be the 8/1 shot Mr Vango, but there is a whole host of horses sitting around the 10/1 mark that could compete, including Hait Couleurs, OConnell, Git Maker, Rock My Way, and Shomen Uchi.
New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day is traditionally one of the best days of the year for racing, with meetings being held at Cheltenham, Musselburgh, Exeter, Ayr, and Newcastle, with most offering jumps racing, with some all-weather flat-racing at some locations too.
Cheltenham hosts seven races, with the first race starting at 12:20 and the last starting at 3:50. Visitors to the event can enjoy live music and family entertainment between races, with tickets starting from £13, rising to £180 for hospitality packages.
The opening race at this year’s Cheltenham New Year meeting is the 2m 4f Maiden Hurdle, followed by the Class 3 Novices Limited Handicap Steeple Chase at 12:55. The Class 2 Betfair Handicap Steeple Chase is run over 3 miles and will take place at 1:30, while the afternoon’s main event, the Class 1 Betfair Exchange Handicap, will start at 2:02.
The final events of the day take place at 2:40 and 3:15, respectively, with the Class 2 Handicap Hurdle running over 3m, and the Grade 2, Class 1 Relkeel Hurdle Race ending the day.
Ayr’s New Year’s Day racing is one of the Premier meetings in Scotland and features 7 races between 12:30 and 3:30. The Jumps meeting offers a variety of different packages, with early bird prices starting at £25, and a selection of hospitality packages available.
With several weeks still to go over a packed festive calendar, New Year’s Day markets might take a bit longer to price up, with Antepost betting likely to change significantly, especially if the weather takes its toll on runners.
Conclusion
The mild, wet weather scheduled until around Christmas could have an impact on racing, but organisers will be hopeful that Storm Bram will be the last major weather event to hit the UK in 2025.
If there is a change in the weather, it could bring frost, which will completely transform how tracks perform. Keeping an eye on potential runners and considering all potential course conditions should make it easier to plan ahead.
With so many great meetings taking place across the festive period, UK bettors should have ample choice when it comes to backing their favoured race types and preferred fields.
