A bumper four National Hunt cards this afternoon in the UK and Ireland with action from Clonmel across the Irish Sea and domestic jump racing from Huntingdon, Musselburgh and Sedgefield.
BetVictor sponsor the card at Ayr this afternoon and in the handicap chase over the minimum trip I felt Plus Jamais (3.50) ran well against two decent sorts over C&D last month and looks to have found an excellent opportunity for Jim Goldie and Brian Hughes.
The King George VI Chase is the Christmas racing highlight of a wonderful Boxing Day card at Kempton Park with last year’s 1-2-3 Silviniaco Conti, Cue Card and Al Ferof all facing the starter again on ground forecast to be good to soft.
The curtain was brought down on the flat season just ten days ago at Doncaster’s November Handicap meeting and the South Yorkshire track have wasted little time preparing for the start of the NH season, starting with a seven-race card this afternoon.
A wonderful renewal of the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase is the afternoon feature with that wonderful old warrior Sizing Europe trying to give weight (11lbs) and a beating to Champagne Fever (2.20) and that might be a bridge too far for Henry De Bromhead’s stable star.
Easter Monday racing brings us no less than nine race meetings, including the Irish National at Fairyhouse on an excellent days National Hunt racing on both sides of the Irish Sea.