A Boxing Day test that England might actually win - plus the Group 1-winning Flat trainer having his first jumps runner

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We all know the story. We get excited about our team, finally they are going to end years of hurt. Then we watch them be rolled over again. Ask those who forked out thousands to watch England in Australia.

It will cost rather less to be at Kempton on Boxing Day and plenty of those in the stands will hope the home team can come out on top and fight back against Irish domination of top jump racing in general this decade and the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase in particular in the last three years.

Willie Mullins is Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Alex Carey rolled into one and Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File are just the sorts to smash it out of the park, with last year's winner Banbridge no rabbit either.

But Jango Baie was enormously impressive when making a winning comeback at Ascot last month and has long looked a horse sure to be suited by this step up in trip.

This could also be the perfect time for hugely promising youngster The Jukebox Man to stride to the wicket and fulfil his potential in the colours of Harry Redknapp – who might just have been a better bet than Brendon McCullum directing operations in Oz.

Another Ace up her sleeve?

She couldn't do it again, could she? Golden Ace must be the least-heralded dual Grade 1 winner in racing history.

True, she took advantage of others' misfortunes when landing the Champion Hurdle in March and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle last month.

But she was far from beaten when The New Lion came down at Newcastle and is a talented mare who looks sure to run her race in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Sir Gino, on the other hand, has been off for a year with illness and is switching back to hurdles for the first time since his own Fighting Fifth success. It wouldn't be the biggest shock in the world, would it?

Golden Ace doubled her Grade 1 tally in the Fighting Fifth HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Forget X and focus on Aintree

Mydaddypaddy gets the perfect chance to show he is the real deal and to brush off Monday's "fake news" affair.

A frustrated Dan Skelton hit out at "quite frankly pathetic" social media concerns that the Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite was injured and made a point of posting footage of the horse working on Tuesday.

That means we now get a real chance to assess the Cheltenham credentials of a horse who has trotted up at 1-2 and 1-5 this season. He faces proper opposition in the Grade 1 William Hill Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree against Diamond Hunter and Idaho Sun – also two from two over hurdles – and hugely impressive recent Wetherby winner Starmount. This is the sort of race on which Supreme hopes are built.

Mydaddypaddy: strecthes his unbeaten record to three at Haydock

Mydaddypaddy: faces a proper test against talented rivalsCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Hard to work out Konfusion

How good might Konfusion be? And his joint-trainer Joel Parkinson for that matter?

The horse returns to Wetherby, where he won off a BHA mark of 92 in February, with a favourite's chance in the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, having won three more times since.

He bolted up by 15 lengths in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle last time out and has risen 44lb in the ratings since his winning run started. Remarkably, he remains the lowest-weighted of the five runners.

Parkinson is in his first full season with his name on the training licence alongside Sue Smith and the yard's fortunes have been transformed, with wins in the London National and Tommy Whittle Chase just its most high-profile recent successes.

Konfusion is an easy winner of the Rehearsal Chase

Konfusion bolted up at NewcastleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Our race is back!

Plenty of horses, jockeys and trainers make comebacks – but a race is returning from a layoff at Leopardstown.

The 2m1f Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase was scrapped by Horse Racing Ireland after its 2023 running, only to be reinstated this season to form the centrepiece of Leopardstown's programme.

That gives the Gordon Elliott-trained Romeo Coolio the chance to double his Grade 1 tally over fences and demonstrate his versatility after an easy win in the Drinmore Novice Chase over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse last month.

But Willie Mullins, who has won this nine times, will also see this as the perfect opportunity for smart hurdler Salvator Mundi to atone for defeat at 1-7 on his chasing debut at Thurles.

It is exactly the sort of clash that made the race's name and the depth of the challenge Lulamba and Kopek Des Bordes will face in the Arkle will become a lot clearer.

Romeo Coolio clears the final fence in the Drinmore Novice Chase

Romeo Coolio won well at FairyhouseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Say Yes to Henry de Bromhead

Anyone looking for a dark horse ought to keep an eye on the Defender Novice Hurdle at Limerick, which Henry de Bromhead won last year with The Big Westerner, who finished second in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham next time out.

This time he runs Yeshil, who was still "a bit babyish" when put in his place behind Kopek Des Bordes at Leopardstown last Christmas.

The trainer gave him time to develop and the horse showed the benefit of that patience when winning from the front at Punchestown last month. Yeshil faces five rivals on this step up to Grade 2 company – none trained by Willie Mullins, who has won this a record seven times. It looks an ideal opportunity to bring him along.

New start for a familiar name

Aidan and Joseph O'Brien both have many big jumps prizes to go with their Flat hauls. Now Donnacha starts out on the National Hunt trail and, given the breeding, you would have to expect he will make a decent fist of it.

Aidan's son and Joseph's younger brother, already a multiple Group 1-winning Flat trainer, will have his first runner over jumps when Galway winner Kilmeaden makes his hurdling debut in the three-year-old maiden at Limerick.

Now read these:

Chaos in the King George betting as Fact To File takes an alarming walk in the market before shortening back in

Confirmed runners and riders for the 2025 King George VI Chase at Kempton

Charlie Deutsch convinced Djelo can compete with very best in the King George after market turmoil around Fact To File

'Winning the King George is the one thing I want for Christmas' - Harry Cobden relishing Boxing Day epic on Il Est Francais