Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase – 1.20 Kempton Park – Friday 26th December

Nearly 12 months down the line, and the 33/1 ante-post bet for the King George VI Chase on Djelo is in a good place, however it was struck perhaps in the hope of not lining up against two of Willie Mullins’ stable stars, but even so you’d hope Djelo is in a good place to run well. If there was an overpriced horse right now at the current prices, then it would be Jango Baie for me, who should be shading favouritism in my book. If he still isn’t following declarations, then he’ll be a bet of some description.

Looking ahead to other events on Boxing Day, and the ever-excellent undercard at Kempton Park features the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at 1.20, in which the 5-day entries are headed by two Willie Mullins inmates (sound familiar) and a pair of Grade 2 UK novices’ chase winners in the shape of Wendigo and Salver.

It would be a surprise if both Mullins’ runners show up as they are both entered in the Grade 1 at Limerick 2 days later, and maximum respect would be afforded to Jimmy Du Seuil if he were the chosen one, while the French-trained Secret D’Etat seems to not be qualified to run (though I’m not sure why,) and there are reasons to perhaps doubt both Wendigo and Salver on one or more of track, trip or ground criteria.

So, despite every bookmaker only offering 2 places for each-way bets at this stage, that looks fair as I’d imagine there’ll be 6 runners maximum. Wendigo will appreciate the extra distance compared with his Newbury win, but going right-handed on a tighter track won’t. Salver was impressive at Sandown Park last time, perhaps in a race that fell apart, but one in which he clocked a good time in mind. There would be doubts about drying ground on a tighter track for him though.

So, it is with the horse who has 9½ lengths to find with Wendigo on their Newbury meeting that is worth a 20/1 each-way 1-star * ante-post investment for WhichBookie. Crest Of Fortune will be only the third horse in the last 10 years that Anthony Honeyball will have run in this Grade 1 contest, but the previous two suggest he never goes there tilting at windmills.

Fountains Windfall might have won easily had he not tipped up at the fourth last in the 2017 edition, and Kilbeg King ran a cracker at 28/1 in 3^rd behind a peak-form Il Est Francais in 2023. Honeyball doesn’t pitch horses into this race (or any Grade 1 for that matter) without due cause to do so.

Crest Of Fortune will absolutely relish the extra distance compared with his two chase starts to date, both of which represented fast times over 2m4f, and on both occasions at Cheltenham and Newbury he was running on late, suggesting of more to come upped in trip.

At 20/1, he is priced up on that distance to find with Wendigo, and with so many races to look at over the festive period, it’s hard for the layers to fully delve into all of them. But with that in mind, the market looks like default options for most, and they haven’t seen a few possible relevant angles that could be at play in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, and I’d expect Crest Of Fortune to be shorter come the day and run accordingly well.