Unibet Ambassador and Top Jockey, Nico De Boinville has six cracking rides at Kempton today including Might Bite, below he talks about his chances in each race, for what could be a Boxing Day to savour for the rider.
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Whatever race you look at on this card – I should say 32Red and Unibet -sponsored card, obviously… – it just oozes class. Luckily, I have a full and decent set of rides, kicking off with Mister Fisher in this novices’ hurdle. I am probably going to be saying this a lot but you can give a winning chance to every horse in here. But we like our fellow a lot. He won his bumper here last March before disappointing at Aintree, and he just got inched out on his hurdling debut at Newbury. I know that form has not really worked out but that was a very encouraging run all the same and the fact that he just got beaten there at least means he doesn’t carry a 5lb penalty. It’s a tough race, though.
He was a decent hurdler on his day, sixth in the Betfair Hurdle and in the Martin Pipe Hurdle too, while he also got the job done on his chasing debut at Wetherby back in October. He wasn’t foot-perfect there but you are entitled to the odd mistake first time up, and his recent schooling and work has been good. He also has had a wind op since Wetherby, so hopefully that will help as well, and I think a mark of 136 is fair. He has won around here, too, so I expect a good show in what is admittedly a very competitive handicap. There is more to come, and the guv’nor likes him.
This is another belter of a race. All of these have a lot to recommend them, but hopefully Santini is towards the top of the pile. He was a leading staying novice hurdler last season, winning his Grade 1 at Aintree, and he was very good on his chasing debut at Newbury, warming well to his task as the race developed. The form of that race has been franked with the runner-up bolting up in a Grade 2 at Doncaster, so we have to be very hopeful. But the likes of Bags Groove and The Worlds End, to name just two of his six rivals, make this one red-hot contest. You could run a blinder and finish third or fourth here.
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Obviously Buveur D’Air is by far the most likely winner of this race, and he looked back to his very best at Newcastle. But if he underperforms – and his record admittedly doesn’t give you much hope of that happening! – then I would like to think that [Verdana Blue] could be the beneficiary. I thought she was superb when winning for me over course and distance in October and she has run three great races since, even taking in a Listed race here on the Flat last time and finishing second. She was also pretty unlucky when fourth in the Greatwood Hurdle, and she is one class act when getting her ground, which she looks like doing here.
Everyone saw how disappointing he was in the Betfair Chase, and I don’t think anyone is hiding away from the fact that he has something to prove now. But I can tell you that we have been very satisfied with him since, and he was his usual exuberant self when I schooled him last Thursday. I was never entirely happy with him at Haydock but, other than that, I don’t know what to say. Horses are allowed an off-day, and everything this horse has done over fences suggests that you write him off at your peril. Yes, it’s a better renewal than last year – it really is some race, and plenty will, rightly, be fancying their chances – but if our horse is in the same form as he was at Cheltenham and Aintree last season then they had better watch out. It’s one hell of a race though, and I don’t think anyone will be too bullish.
He bounced back really well from a nasty fall at Sandown last season, winning twice, and finishing a good second at Ludlow in May afterwards. I wouldn’t say that he had an obvious chance here – and he may be better over fences down the line – but conditions should suit and a mark of 131 is probably okay on what he has done so far. And he has run well in a bumper around here, so there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful.
Content by Nico De Boinville for the Unibet Blog (www.unibet.co.uk/blog) and used with kind permission
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