Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Don’t doubt Constitution Hill on return

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty looks over a brilliant Boxing Day of top-class action from Kempton, Aintree, Wetherby and Leopardstown.

Kempton, Boxing Day

I think stepping up in trip is going to suit ASTA LA PASTA in the opener (12:45pm). He ran well last time, when staying on strongly over two miles at Newbury. He’s only a six-year-old so he should be a horse with more to come. Sam Thomas’ runner, Range, looks to be the main danger.

THE JUKEBOX MAN should take an awful lot of beating in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (1:20pm). He’s one of my horses to follow this season and he jumped beautifully on chase debut at Newbury last time. For a three-miler he’s a horse with a lot of pace and I can see him coming forward from that run now stepping up in trip. I think the opposition will have to show dramatic improvement to trouble him.

The Christmas Hurdle (1:55pm) is a real Christmas cracker with Lossiemouth set to take on CONSTITUTION HILL. The vibes are very strong on Constitution Hill. He’s won this in both of the last two years so Kempton is clearly a track that suits him very well, and I think it could favour him rather than Lossiemouth. I have Lossiemouth a good bit ahead of State Man in my book, so she is probably the strongest opposition he has faced to date and while I seriously respect the mare, I wouldn’t doubt Constitution Hill. From the vibes I’m getting from everyone at Seven Barrows they feel as though he’s back to himself, his work and schooling have been really good. While he’s been off the track for 12 month and has had setbacks along the way, they haven’t been major ones, it’s been more of a stop-start time for him. While Lossiemouth is definitely on the up, Constitution Hill just has so much class.

The King George (2:30pm) is a brilliant race and looks the best renewal I’ve seen in a long time. There’s so much depth to the race and cases can be made for many. I thought BANBRIDGE’s run in Cork when he unseated at the last when attempting to give Energumene 10 pounds was an excellent effort. Dino Blue was booked to be 10 lengths back in third when he unseated too, so that is very strong recent form. Likewise, Spillane’s Tower’s second in the John Durkan was a brilliant run, but he is slightly ground dependent and I’d say they need a bit of rain in order for him to turn up. That throws a slight question mark over him. Il Est Francais has had his problems but he won the Kauto Star last year in a four-second faster time than the King George over the course and distance on the same day, so a reproduction of that run would put him in the mix. Banbridge would be my selection though, as a course winner with good recent form, and the ground should be spot on for him.

Aintree, Boxing Day

The top two in the market in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle (1:05pm) stand out to me. I’m not totally convinced by the form of Potters Charm’s win at Cheltenham last time because I don’t think his main rival Valgrand performed to his best there. I don’t think Potters Charm had as much to contend with on the day as we thought. Jonjo O’Neill’s ROADLESSTRAVELLED put up a brilliant performance last time out at Haydock, beating Country Mile who has since gone on to win impressively. Country Mile had already had a run before meeting the Roadlesstravelled so it wasn’t a lack of fitness that beat him either. I’m a big fan of Roadlesstravelled and I think his form is more reliable than that of Potters Charm.

Wetherby, Boxing Day

In the William Hill Rowland Meyrick (1:35pm), I like SINE NOMINE. He beat Its On The Line at Cheltenham in the Hunters’ Chase and that horse then went on to win the Foxhunters’ at Aintree and at Punchestown. For me that’s the strongest form in the race and a reproduction of his Cheltenham run would probably be good enough here.

Leopardstown, Boxing Day

BETTER DAYS AHEAD and Stellar Story are both Cheltenham Festival winners and are set to meet in the Long Distance Novice Chase (2:20pm). Better Days Ahead won the Martin Pipe which is a race that has produced plenty of excellent chasers in recent years, in the likes of Galopin Des Champs and Banbridge, and he could be another horse that has more to offer than the opposition. He won over two-and-a-half miles on chase debut and I think he could have a bit too much pace for Stellar Story.