#Desert Orchid Chase

Minella Indo and A Plus Tard, last year's first and second, top 30 entries for the Cheltenham Gold Cup - the highlight of the Festival meeting in March. Trained by Henry de Bromhead, the duo were separated by just a length and a quarter in 2021, but it is A Plus Tard who is the ante-post favourite at this stage after winning the Betfair Chase…

It was a shame Edwardstone unseated Tom Cannon at the fifth in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. He had been brilliant in the Tingle Creek and this was supposed to be further evidence that he's ready to have a real crack at Energumene in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Alas, it wasn't to be, but at least he returned unscathed and the Champion…

AFTER a few false starts and with the weather causing havoc, the National Hunt finally looks like kicking into top gear over Christmas. And the highlight will be the blockbuster King George on Boxing Day. Sky Sports Racing and Racing TV will have their fair share of the action. But ITV remains the only place to see all the big races without having…

Edwardstone was lobbing along at the back of the field when he got in too close to one down the far side leaving Cannon no chance as he was catapulted out of the saddle. Editeur Du Gite was bowling along nicely in front under Niall Houlihan at that stage and he didn't see another rival as he galloped on relentlessly for a 13-length success from…

IF at first you don't succeed, try, try again. The Two Amigos, having his third crack at the Welsh Grand National, made every yard of the running for a memorable win at Chepstow. The 16-1 shot fought them all off under a ballsy ride from 5lb claimer David Prichard to give trainer Nicky Martin her biggest winner. The gutsy 10-year-old was fifth on…

IF at first you don't succeed - try, try again! That's certainly the case for TRUCKERS LODGE in today's big betting race of the day, the Coral Welsh National on ITV. The three-mile-six marathon is sure to spark tremendous reaction from the back-again Chepstow fans… and hopefully a Truckers revival! I think this is a wide open renewal, and Truckers…

12:45 Kempton - Artistic Choice 13:05 Chepstow - Broken Halo (each way) 13:20 Kempton - Boothill 13:40 Chepstow - Scriptwriter 13:55 Kempton - Get A Tonic 14:10 Chepstow - Flight Deck (each way) 14:30 Kempton - Nube Negra 14:50 Chepstow - Truckers Lodge (each way) 15:09 Kempton - Kitty's Light (each way) *All prices are bang up to date with our…

Boxing Day is the most important day in the year when it comes to UK-based sports. Ladbrokes are sponsoring the Christmas Festival 2022 which comes with two major horse racing events. Below, we are going to talk more about the Ladbrokes Trophy 2022 odds and tips. Since 2005, Ladbrokes has sponsored horse racing events as part of a Christmas…

The festive season is one of the busiest periods of the year for horse racing, with 11 meetings taking place between Ireland and the UK on St Stephen's Day alone. Leopardstown and Limerick both host four-day meetings, with Grade 1 races among the action at both tracks, while Down Royal also stages a card on December 26. Across the water, races like…

A scroll through Twitter on the evening of December 26 in recent years has tended to reveal Paul Nicholls celebrating King George success with a McDonald's on the way back from Kempton. The Ditcheat maestro, who is seeking a record-extending 13th win in the race, could well be lovin' it again on Monday with Bravemansgame and Hitman among the main…

Britain's festive spectacular, the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (2.30), is one of the highlights of the year and is already shaping up to be a post-Christmas cracker on December 26. The King George has been won by some of jump racing's legends in the past, and we have taken a look at who could join that illustrious roll of honour based on…

Steve Packham (third left): hoping Goshen can gain a first Grade 1 in the Long Walk Hurdle No-one could begrudge Steve Packham a first Grade 1 winner at Kempton on Monday and Goshen's owner believes his fans' favourite will relish a first try over three miles in the Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle (12.45). The Gary Moore-trained Goshen looked a Grade 1…

Leopardstown: two days of the track's Christmas festival will be shown on ITV Racing Horse Racing Ireland is looking forward to Irish meetings playing a crucial role in the ITV Racing Christmas Festival, but it is unlikely it will add another fixture to its schedule to make it a week-long spectacular of coverage in the future. The ITV Racing…

Michael Buckley, still revelling in the sensational atmosphere he experienced when Constitution Hill shone at Newcastle last month, hopes the Christmas crowd at Kempton can enjoy an equally thrilling treat on Monday when the sport's newest superstar lines up in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (1.55). Trained by Buckley's close pal Nicky Henderson,…

Bravemansgame (left) and Hitman: in the running for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase Sam Twiston-Davies is pinning his hopes of another King George VI Chase (2.30) on the fantastic jumping of Hitman, the horse he rides in the Ladbrokes-sponsored event at Kempton on Monday. Twiston-Davies won the prestigious Grade 1 in 2019 when he rode Clan Des…

Frost and snow has hit hard in Britain and Ireland but over the festive period ITV are planning on covering action from 14 race meetings, featuring 41 races in total, across six joyous days of high-octane racing. From Boxing Day right through to New Year's Day, the Christmas jumpers are out in force and here we highlight the full schedule including…

Shishkin was the outstanding novice chaser in training in 2020/21, showing top-class form in winning his first five starts over fences, and last season began in a similar vein as he made a seamless transition into open company with victories in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton and Clarence House Chase at Ascot. The Clarence House was arguably the…

The Grade 1 Tingle Creek is one of the leading races in the 2m chase division. Its roll of honour includes Desert Orchid, Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star, Master Minded and Sprinter Sacre. Six runners have been declared for the Sandown feature on Saturday afternoon at 2.55pm, including last year's winner Greaneteen and one of the stars of the division,…

The two rising stars of the two-mile chasing division look set to go to head-to-head in what could be an epic edition of the Wednesday feature at the sporting event Shishkin ridden by Nico de Boinville jumps the last fence to win the 2021 Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase Shishkin and Energumene are being readied for a fascinating…

The eight year old enjoyed a season to remember last term, twice winning Grade One prizes at Sandown Park including a 12-length demolition job of Sceau Royal in the Celebration Chase in April. And while there looks set to be a smart field standing in his way this Saturday, including last year's Arkle Trophy hero as well as the returning Nicky…

One of the great National Hunt races of the season takes centre-stage on Saturday with the latest running of the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown Park. The two-mile chasing showpiece boasts that brilliant mix of a need for speed, matched with jumping fluidity which has seen illustrious stars of the sport including Desert Orchid, Kauto Star,…

Trainer Dan Skelton says Protektorat has had the perfect build up for his re-match with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday. Protektorat, part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, was the first British-trained horse home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March when third. But the seven-year-old has 17-and-a-half…

Alan King has enjoyed some memorable days at Cheltenham's November Meeting over the years, perhaps none more so than when Annacotty won the Paddy Power Gold Cup back in 2015. Not only was it his first win in that prestigious contest, but it was a success made even sweeter by the fact that Annacotty was out of the mare Mini Moo Min, who had provided…

A total of five horses were declared for the Grade Two limited handicap chase over an extended two miles and a furlong and Third Time Lucki is currently the 7/4 favourite market leader. The seven-year-old won three of his six starts last season, scoring twice at Cheltenham (including in the Grade Two November Novices' Chase) and in the Grade Two…

Plenty of horses trained in Ireland understandably catching the punters' attention after the recent festive action. Shorteners with Sky Bet include Sunday Naas winner Ginto who looks a player in the staying novice hurdle division in March - and a Willie Mullins-trained, Sussanah Ricci-owned French import in Allegorie De Vassy. She impressed with…

Frodon: an impressive winner at Down Royal last year Owner Paul Vogt is looking forward to sending Frodon into the lion's den to take on Ireland's finest at this weekend's Dublin Racing Festival. The ten-year-old is on course for the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup (3.15) on Saturday but will not be joined at Leopardstown by stablemate Clan Des Obeaux,…

If you are looking for an industry professional with a long history in the gambling space, look no further than Unibet's Ed Nicholson. His hair may be long gone, but the Racing Communications and Sponsorship boss is only 53 and he has crammed plenty into his working life. Nicholson, the son of a teacher that visited every racecourse in the…

Shishkin (right): overhauled Energumene in a thrilling Clarence House Chase Saturday: Ascot Nicky Henderson called it a proper race, his jockey Nico de Boinville said it was one of the best he had been a part of, but it was the woman running down the escalator at Ascot who perhaps best summed up Shishkin's defeat of Energumene. "That was glorious,"…

The titanic clash between superstar chasers Shishkin and Energumene is on after both horses were declared for Saturday's SBK Clarence House Chase (3.35) at Ascot. Last year's winner First Flow and Amoola Gold were also declared, with Hitman the only absentee. The pair of unbeaten chasers will face off for the first time, having initially been set…

Jockey Patrick Mullins believes the Clarence House Chase at Ascot could be the perfect setting to finally discover who is king of the two-mile division. Energumene, trained by Mullins' father Willie, and Nicky Henderson's Shishkin could finally meet this month as they put their unbeaten records over fences on the line. The pair had been set to…