Irish Horses

December usually means the King George at Kempton for the racing fan, but the center piece of the traditional Christmas program is simply the culmination of the race exciting one month beginning at Sandown with the spectacular two-mile that is the Tingle Creek Trophy on Saturday, December 2.

Shocks are a rarity in this first year of competition and even though many familiar faces will not be the event worthwhile, it is safe to say that donors should stick with those horses towards the head of the market.

In the absence of major fires as well two thousand head, and Newmill, this may well be an excellent opportunity for Voy Por ustedes, last season's top two mile chaser and Arkle Trophy hero, to establish its claim for the two-mile continuation of the Crown.

His trainer, Alan King, has long affected the race as an ideal starting point for his stable star and with agility and the need to travel the pace a priority at Sandown, Voy Por ustedes has much in its favor. Ashley Brook, last year's second place, may also be in opposition and it will be interesting to see how he fares after missing most of last season through injury.

The Tingle Creek is not only the top two mile chase on the agenda because the Henry VIII Novices Sandown Chase is also a key element of cracking at Sandown on December 2 maps. There is already a wealth of talent in the division hunt novice two thousand and it is not surprising to see fair, the most impressive winner of Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase at Cheltenham contest this prize and put his Arkle credentials on line.

Remarkably five of the last eight winners of the Henry VIII ran in the Independent Chase at Cheltenham while trainer Paul Nicholls has also been responsible for two of the seven previous winners and what will his Ditcheat stable should be noted. The same is true for Alan King's Barbury Castle yard and My Way Solzen, the most impressive winner on his debut game Lingfield, would be another prime candidate.

Saturday Sandown map would not be complete without a benefit in the form of bookmakers William Hill Handicap obstacle has been a graveyard for the market leaders in recent seasons. Twelve years ago now, a favorite since landed two mile contest and the soundest advice is to stick a horse with a low weight that are trained by Gary Moore or Philip Hobbs and have run in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham Paddy Power Open meeting. Both Blaze and mahogany Veras fit this bill.

On Sunday, December 3 Ireland stages a couple of key races in their courtesy calendar model Drinmore Novices' Chase and the Hatton Grace hurdle at Fairyhouse, the latter being widely recognized as a stepping stone to Champion Hurdle success this year and probably function Brave Inca and Asian Maze, two of the leading contenders for the Ireland honors two mile hurdles.

The best jump of action is at Cheltenham on December 9 for a great day of racing, which presents Boylseports.com International Hurdle (formerly known as the Bula Hurdle) as a centerpiece of the meeting of the competition. Punters should look no further than the city of Detroit's current Champion Hurdle favorite for the winner most likely the Boylesports. Philip Hobbs-trained Grey grows rapidly in a course specialist and Prestbury Park last month, he quickly added the Greatwood obstacle to the obstacle Triumph he arrived in March.

The contest was twice former winner of the Boylesports and hopefully the greatly improved the city of Detroit should make three mainly at the expense of some inferior competitors. The Irish landed the race a year ago, but Raiders across the Irish Sea will be difficult to make three winners lately th.