The festive racing continues on Saturday with ITV broadcasting eight races across meetings at Newbury, Leopardstown and Leicester.
- 1:25 Leicester: Four Calling Birds Handicap Chase – Superbolt @ 9/4
- 1:45 Newbury: Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle – Mr Hope Street @ 10/3
- 2:00 Leopardstown: Savills Hurdle – Bob Olinger @ 5/2
- 2:20 Newbury: Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase – Surrey Quest @ 15/2
- 2:35 Leopardstown: Savills Chase – Fact To File @ 11/8
- 2:55 Newbury: Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle – Bill Joyce @ 4/1
- 3:10 Leicester: Leicestershire Silver Fox Handicap Chase – William Cody @ 11/8
- 3:35 Newbury: Coral ‘Pipped-At-The Post’ And Win Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase – Shanagh Bob @ 9/2
Newbury’s Challow Hurdle Day takes up the fixture’s traditional position on the Saturday following Christmas and there will be four televised races from the Berkshire track. The meeting’s title race, the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle, is scheduled for 2:55, with Dan Skelton’s The New Lion at the head of the betting.
Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden have paired up for the last four winners of this race they team up with expensive recruit, Regent’s Stroll, this year. Jonjo and AJ O’Neill will be represented by Bill Joyce who was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Winter Novice’s Hurdle at Sandown earlier in the month. The £75k Mandarin Handicap Chase, the Coral Handicap Hurdle and Coral Novices’ Handicap Chase complete the coverage from Newbury.
Day three of Leopardstown’s four-day Christmas Festival has two Grade 1 contests and both will be televised live on Saturday. First up is the Savills Hurdle, with 2022 winner, Home By The Lee, the current favourite for Joseph O’Brien. Amongst the challengers are two-time Cheltenham Festival winner, Bob Olinger, 2023 King George VI Chase winner, Hewick, and the 2022 Grand National Winner, Noble Yeats.
The €175k Savills Chase is one of Winter racing’s most important contests and see’s the Willie Mullins duo of Fact To File and Galopin Des Champs go head to head once more. Last month in Punchestown’s 2m 3½f John Durkan Memorial Chase it was Fact To File who was victorious with the two-time Cheltenham and Irish Gold Cup winner back in third. Also in the mix are Grand National winner, I Am Maximus, Mildmay Novices’ Chase winner, Inothewayurthinkin, bet365 Gold Cup winner, Minella Crooner, and the 2022 winner of this race, Confalted.
Leicester are holding their Post Christmas Family Fun Day and ITV will be televising the Four Calling Birds Handicap Chase and the Leicestershire Silver Fox Handicap Chase.