Post-Christmas Racing A Treat

With just the 78 races taking place across Ireland and Britain on St Stephen’s Day, there’s plenty of action to get stuck into and even an eight-race card on the all-weather at Wolverhampton if that is your thing.

Nothing will help make the turkey sandwiches a bit nicer than a few winners though and hopefully we’ll see plenty of quality action and manage to get a few winners along the way.

No might about it in the King George

The British handicapper makes Bristol De Mai by far the most superior horse in the King George following his wide margin win at Haydock last month but the King George is going to be a very different prospect on a bit of nicer ground and Might Bite is a confident choice to continue his winning sequence.

Might Bite has earned a bit of a following, not just through winning the RSA and racking up a sequence of wins that prove he’s a good horse, but also by the manner in which he goes about his business with his quirky streak.

Might Bite could be a horse with Gold Cup potential, there’s no doubt about that…

..and while Sizing John might have something to say about that in March, Nicky Henderson’s eight-year-old can frank his Gold Cup credentials by winning the King George, and doing so in good style.

Albeit in much lesser company, but Might Bite showed last year just how effective he can be at Kempton and even when he tried to throw the RSA away he still managed to come out on top and with his own thoughts about the game it has to be said that this son of Scorpion has been handled very well by Nicky Henderson and all concerned can get their just rewards.

Roll the Dysios

At Leopardstown Footpad would be the preferred choice over Death Duty in the 2m1f novice chase but that is not a race you’d want to have a bet in, but later on the card it could be worth taking a punt on course and distance winner Dysios in the competitive handicap chase.

Dysios won this same race a couple of seasons ago and was second 12-months ago and prior to all that he was a winner at this meeting over hurdles as well.

He’s certainly a horse that operates well around Leopardstown and comes here in good form and well placed by Denis Cullen after winning a hurdle race on heavy ground at Gowran whereas this drier surface would be much more in his favour.

There’s probably little doubt that Dysios could be slightly vulnerable to younger legs and lesser exposed types but he’s a seasoned performer in this type of company and at a decent price is worth backing each-way.

Elliott to start the day as he means to go on

In a special feature with Gordon Elliott for the Herald on Tuesday looking ahead to his Christmas runners, there was no getting away from Star Maker in the opening race at Limerick. After making his debut for Elliott in Cork just over a fortnight ago, the trainer reports his work to be good and his claims to be solid in a juvenile maiden hurdle that may not be the strongest. He could just be the sort to get us off to a good start on a busy day of punting.