Rising stars, bubbles burst and shock results: the highs and lows of Christmas

With Graded-race winners at 16-1, 14-1, 12-1, 8-1 (twice) and 6-1 (twice), winners of the big contests since Christmas Day were not easy to find. Some big names were beaten in those races, but new stars have emerged who could step up to the plate, while others have questions to answer

BURST BUBBLES

Samcro
No bottle, no battle. That was the verdict of Gigginstown House Stud owner Michael O’Leary after seeing Samcro defeated in the Ryanair Hurdle, his fourth outing in a row as a beaten favourite. So what now? He looks a pale shadow of the brilliant Ballymore winner. He has never been allowed to go off bigger than 6-4 for any race. That will change next time no matter where he appears.

Might Bite: bitterly disappointing from the fourth-last in the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Might Bite
Who would you have backed at the halfway mark in the King George? Might it have been Might Bite? Of course it would. Waiting Patiently had departed, as had Bristol De Mai. Native River was being shoved along and Politologue had made a serious error. Everything was going Might Bite’s way. He traded at a low of 2.02 in-running. What happened from the fourth-last was bitterly disappointing. We have since found out he bled, but we must start to come to terms with the fact Might Bite might struggle to bounce back.

Mengli Khan
The leading Arkle fancy produced a sloppy round of jumping on his way to fading into fourth behind Le Richebourg in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown. It was not the display of an Arkle winner in waiting. Perhaps he does not like Leopardstown and is better going right-handed, but whatever way you look at it he has serious questions to answer now as a chaser.

Annamix
How could the ante-post favourite for the Supreme start at 4-6 to win a moderate Limerick maiden hurdle? Now we know. The giant-striding grey didn’t do a whole lot wrong, but nevertheless the fact he was turned over by a horse who was 28 lengths behind Tornado Flyer on his previous start was not good.

WOBBLY FAVOURITES

It is seldom you see a horse who was beaten over Christmas retain favouritism for a Cheltenham contest, never mind three of them, but that is what happened

Buveur D’Air
Remains at the summit of the Unibet Champion Hurdle market but you can get 6-4 now after he was denied in the final stride by Verdana Blue in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. He crashed through the third-last, but he didn’t look the same Buveur D’Air who smashed Samcro at Newcastle. It was his first defeat since finishing third behind Altior in the 2016 Supreme.

Kalashnikov (left) sets out in vain pursuit of Dynamite Dollars at KemptonCredit: Edward Whitaker

Kalashnikov
Dense fog deprived us of seeing half of the race at Kempton but Kalashnikov appeared to be beaten fair and square by Dynamite Dollars. Jack Quinlan was scrubbing him along before the home turn and he could not reel in the improving winner. He still sits at the top of the Racing Post Arkle market, but that is more down to his main rivals fluffing their lines. Cheltenham should suit better than Kempton, mind.

Santini
Could not live with Le Bague Au Roi and Topofthegame when it mattered most in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase but the way he plugged on from the last to the line prevented layers from promoting something else to RSA favouritism. You sense we have yet to see the best of him.

RISING STARS

Clan Des Obeaux
Did anyone see that coming? Well, yes, quite a few people actually. Clan Des Obeaux was only a 12-1 shot for the King George despite the fact he had never won a Grade 1 before and was fourth of five behind Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase. He was foot perfect at Kempton and powered his way to a stylish success over Thistlecrack. He is now 10-1 for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup. He turns seven on January 1 and his potential is frightening.

Kemboy
David Mullins’ decision not to disappoint the rapidly improving six-year-old and instead send him to the head of affairs passing the stands with a circuit to race was a masterstroke. Kemboy didn’t put a foot wrong and the fact that he was able to put seven and a half lengths between himself and Monalee after the last stamps him down as a serious Cheltenham Gold Cup contender. He is 8-1 for that race now and looks the most likely candidate to break Willie Mullins’ hoodoo.

Harry Cobden: eight winners since December 17Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Harry Cobden
Solidified his status as Paul Nicholls' number one with a cracking Christmas. Eight winners since December 17, the highlight, of course, coming in the King George on Clan Des Obeaux. The way he bit his tongue for so long up the Kempton straight and didn’t deliver his challenge until approaching the final fence was a measure of how far he has come. He has developed into a terrific rider.

David Mullins
The 22-year-old Grand National-winning jockey was a brave boy on Kemboy. To have the nous to take up the running with a circuit remaining confirmed the suspicion that he has a wise old head on his young shoulders. He was cool as a cucumber on Rocky Blue in the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle and sugarcoated a special week with a fine front-running ride on Good Thyne Tara in the Grade 3 mares' hurdle on Saturday.

Sharjah
It is time to start believing. When Patrick Mullins said no horse should ever be odds-on in any race against Sharjah, he was referring to Samcro before last season’s Deloitte. Samcro won that easily. Now we know what he was talking about. The Galway Hurdle hero, who followed up in the Morgiana, finally managed to get us believing he can win a Champion Hurdle by virtue of a stunning victory in the Ryanair Hurdle.

Delta Work
Three from three over fences and looking every inch an RSA winner in waiting following an eight-length win in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Saturday, his second Grade 1 in a row after his dogged Drinmore success. He is already a Cheltenham Festival winner having landed the Pertemps Final there last season so it is hard to see him not having a big say in the RSA.

FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Altior
What can one say that hasn’t been said already? Altior is awesome, it is as simple as that. As favourite after favourite was being turned over at Leopardstown, Chepstow and Kempton, we needed some stability, and it arrived in the form of a familiar face. Altior destroyed his Desert Orchid Chase rivals with assured jumping and relentless galloping. The Champion Chase is once again his for the taking.

Altior: destroyed his rivals last time in the Desert Orchid ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Apple’s Jade
She turns seven on January 1. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Who knows what would have happened had Faugheen not came down at the second-last in the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown but he would have needed something very special to get to Apple’s Jade, who went on to win by 26 lengths. She is better than ever.

Paul Nicholls
Ten winners in eight days is a fantastic return for the ever-reliable Paul Nicholls, who toasted a tenth King George when Clan Des Obeaux stormed to success at Kempton. Quel Destin’s gutsy triumph in Chepstow's Finale Juvenile Hurdle handed him another Grade 1, while Dynamite Dollars announcing himself as a serious Arkle contender by defeating Kalashnikov gave him even more to smile about. Nicholls is a terrific trainer and keeps on proving it year after year despite having limited resources at times.

Willie Mullins
He may have had umpteen beaten favourites over the festive period but Mullins still grabbed the headlines. Sharjah, Kemboy and Aramon ensured he won three of the seven Grade 1s at Leopardstown.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Leopardstown
Where better to watch a sumptuous showdown in the Savills Chase than in the middle of the grandstand. Wrong. What a terrible decision that was. Neither I nor anyone else had a clue what was going on. The sound system needs to be updated, and quickly. If people are paying €35 to get in they need to be able to hear the commentaries from the place you are supposed to watch the races from. It is simply not good enough and something needs to be done before the Dublin Racing Festival in February.

The crowd in the grandstand at Leopardstown's Christmas festival could not hear the racecourse commentaryCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

There were also not enough turnstiles open on the opening day of the Christmas festival, meaning the gates had to be opened to let people in for free.

Those were the two disappointing tales from an otherwise fantastic festival at Leopardstown where the crowd figures were terrific and the atmosphere electric.

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