Take Bristol to top King George or back a different verdict - the nation decides

In a nutshell

At last, a re-run of a people's vote that everyone can get behind. It is a Christmas miracle. Even those who hailed a decisive result last time will accept that was then, this is now.

At Haydock Bristol De Mai topped the poll in another Betfair Chase, making it four from four on a track he handles so well. Far from settling the issue, that has merely stoked debate. Will there be a different verdict in the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton, where Bristol De Mai trailed in sixth last year?

The opposition is up for it with Colin Tizzard justifiably hopeful about Gold Cup winner Native River and Thistlecrack, who won this in scintillating style as a novice two years ago and shaped encouragingly in third behind Bristol De Mai at Haydock.

Might Bite appears to have won his confidence vote – last year's winner apparently gave himself a fright when hitting an early fence at Haydock and went into "panic mode", but a recent schooling session was hailed as brilliant by Nicky Henderson.

Waiting Patiently and Politologue are new names on the ballot paper this time around on a day when punters have plenty of decisions to make with 77 races in Britain and Ireland.

You don't need a poll to know that Buveur D'Air is the most likely winner of the Unibet Christmas Hurdle, but will class tell for highly touted novice chasers Getabird, Mengli Khan and Santini, and the smart sprinter Kachy, who takes centre stage at Wolverhampton?

The only way to find out is to stay tuned from 11.55am to 4.55pm. You didn't really want to watch Raiders Of The Lost Ark again, did you?

Wide-open race

You know a race is tricky to call when people have been confidently backing half a dozen different horses.

Which suggests the King George VI Chase ought to carry a health warning for punters, with William Hill reporting that no fewer than six of the ten declared runners have been popular in the build-up.

In the spirit of the season, punters have been in forgiving mood and a quarter of bets struck by the confirmation stage had been on last year's winner Might Bite, excusing his Betfair Chase flop last month.

The three horses who beat him at Haydock plus Waiting Patiently, who's beaten all the horses he’s faced in his seven chases so far, had also attracted at least ten per cent of early wagers.

But the most popular choice to dethrone Might Bite has been Politologue, even though the two-mile and two-and-a-half-mile Grade 1 winner has never raced at this trip.

When you're unbeaten in eight races going right handed and your trainer Paul Nicholls – who also runs Clan Des Obeaux – has won this a record nine times, people are clearly prepared to make a leap of faith.

Air of superiority

If the King George is akin to an Agatha Christie whodunnit, a mystery that keeps you guessing until the final scene, the Christmas Hurdle is more like Columbo as viewers know the outcome soon after the start.

Or at least that's how it seems in most races involving Buveur D'Air these days.

There has been precious little mystery as he has tended to start at odds-on and usually cruises to the easy success that was scripted.

He had to fight to land the odds in a second Champion Hurdle last March and actually started second favourite behind Samcro on his return in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

But he still won on both occasions, with utterly disdainful superiority at Newcastle, and not even Inspector Clouseau would fail to pick him as much the most likely suspect at Kempton – he's rated 20lb or more better than any rival.

Boxing Day cards and betting

Get a hint from Walsh's trip

Christmas is a time for unusual journeys. Think of that original trek to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey a couple of thousand years ago.

Ruby Walsh is the one embarking on an out-of-the-ordinary voyage this time as he ignores the star-studded cards at Kempton and Leopardstown to ride at Limerick's St Stephen's Day meeting for the first time in 22 years – and it is no donkey who he is making the trip for.

Rather, the 12-time Irish champion goes south to partner Getabird in the Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase, the first Grade 1 race the track has hosted.

Occasional racing fans may remember his mount as the long-touted good thing for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, who started a red-hot 7-4 favourite only to trail in 11th.

But he bounced back to win at Fairyhouse over Easter and looked a potentially high-class novice chaser when scoring with ease on his debut over fences at Punchestown this month.

He's a best-priced 14-1 for the Racing Post Arkle Chase, which may interest those who reckon Walsh's visit is a sign from above.

Christmas hero remembered

This day should not be allowed to pass without mention of Victory Gunner, the greatest Christmas present punters ever had.

His death last week will have been mourned in betting shops up and down the country as people recalled a chaser who rewarded festive backers by winning between Boxing Day and December 29 for five years in a row from 2003 to 2007 – and again in 2011 at the age of 13.

With two of those wins coming at 20-1 and another at 10-1, he’ll have paid for plenty of Power Rangers and Cabbage Patch Dolls down the years.

Golden oldie Victory Gunner dies peacefully at the Welsh farm where he was born

His heyday was from 2005 to 2007, when he landed three straight runnings of the Lincolnshire National, the feature race of the winter at Market Rasen – which on Boxing Day opens a bar named in honour of Tiger Roll, who made a winning debut at the course in 2013.

None of the field in this 0-130 marathon look obvious candidates at this stage to deny last season’s Grand National winner his Aintree crown next April.

But it looks significant that Aidan Coleman should head to Lincolnshire, fresh from riding his first Grade 1 winner at Ascot last Saturday, with feature race hope Beau Sancy one of five mounts he takes for go-ahead trainer Olly Murphy.

It's time for Santa – Santa Anita

Cracking race though the King George is, Kempton does not quite compare in terms of setting, or weather, with the idyllic Santa Anita, whose winter meeting opens on Boxing Day.

There are two Grade 1 contests on a ten-race card at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California, with the added attraction of a craft beer and cider festival plus a skating rink (which sounds a slightly dangerous combination).

The action will be shown on At The Races, but those who want to see a high-class Flat horse in the flesh need only head to the (slightly) less exotic Wolverhampton.

Kachy is a mighty quick sprinter on his day, runner-up in the Commonwealth Cup in 2016 and beaten just a neck into third in the Temple Stakes in May.

He starts back from a wind operation in the Betway Conditions Stakes and already has Good Friday in his sights, with a bid to improve on last year's second place in the All-Weather Sprint Championships at Lingfield his likely ultimate aim.

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