SHAN UNLIKELY TO LEAVE PUNTERS BLUE

13:50 Kempton

Dan and Harry Skelton look to have a strong team here at Kempton today, and in Shan Blue look to have an excellent chance of taking the first of three Group 1 races on the card. Unbeaten in two since tackling fences, the Shantou gelding was a runaway winner on first attempt over three miles at Wetherby in October, putting in an exemplary round of jumping and quickening clear in impressive fashion to beat prior Grade 2 Hurdles winner Snow Leopardess by sixteen lengths. This is a marked step up in class but he looks more than up to the task.

Both The Big Breakaway and If The Cap fits have contested higher grade races than the favourite but both were beaten at extremely short odds last time out so the biggest danger to Shan Blue could from Enrilo who beat a subsequent winner over this trip at Exeter last month and looks capable of further improvement.

SHAN BLUE

written by Dean Kilbryde

Check out our full list of selections, from all of the team, for every race this Boxing Day in our Boxing Day Bonanza!