Kempton keep fingers crossed for Boxing Day

Brian Clifford has kept the grass under wraps for some days in an attempt to thwart the cold in time for the William Hill King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

"I had a look with some of the jockeys, including Sam Thomas, and the ground is perfectly raceable," said Clifford.

"As a going report I would say it is just on the slow side of good.

"Now we've got the other problems to deal with, such as the snow, but I would say at least half the volume of snow has melted.

"It could be snowing or sleeting (overnight) and we're taking the same approach of taking it day by day, as it's a moveable feast."

It has been reported that the King George, in which Kauto Star bids for a record fifth victory, could be shifted to the following afternoon should Boxing Day fall victim to the weather.

Nicky Henderson, meanwhile, decided Punchestowns did not quite have the required experience over fences to run in the big Christmas feature.

The Judy Wilson-owned seven-year-old was a top-class staying hurdler, finding only Big Buck's too strong in the World Hurdle of 2009.

Sent chasing last season, he impressively won his first two starts, including the Grade One Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown.

However, despite being sent off the 2-1 favourite in the RSA Chase in March, he could only finish fifth behind Weapon's Amnesty.

"I'm aiming Punchestowns at the Mandarin at Newbury on December 29," Henderson said.

"We just decided that with just three runs over fences the King George is not his race at the moment.

"There is the opportunity of a nice race at Newbury over three miles for intermediates and if he comes through that we'll start thinking of moving up whole scale.

"He is top class if everything goes right, which it didn't at Cheltenham for him or Long Run which is why Burton Port came out on top."

The Newbury meeting will also stage the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle.

The race has been renamed the AP Wins Sports Personality Long Walk Hurdle, and has been generously sponsored by Andy Stewart and his family.

With Stewart owning Big Buck's, there is a good chance he will win his own race.

Clerk of the course Richard

Osgood said: "It's good news. At the minute we are covered in snow, but we were at this time last year and we raced 12 months ago.

"If the forecast is correct – it says it is going to warm up with rain around – we'd be very hopeful. At this stage I'd say we have about a 60 per cent chance of racing."

The Henderson-trained Binocular will face a maximum of nine rivals after the entries were confirmed for the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle.

As the Kempton contest did not meet the 10 entries required at Monday's six-day stage, connections were given the opportunity of adding their horse to the race.

The current champion hurdler finished third on his seasonal reappearance in the rearranged Fighting Fifth at Newbury.

Henderson has also entered stablemate Oscar Whisky, who was due to run in the abandoned Ladbroke last week.

Khyber Kim, second to Binocular at Cheltenham in March, is due to make his seasonal debut for Nigel Twiston-Davies.

Starluck, who finished in front of Binocular in the Fighting Fifth, was narrowly denied in the race 12 months ago by Go Native and will bid to go one better for Alan Fleming.

Nicholls has two possibles in Escort'men and Sanctuaire.

An intriguing contender is Donald McCain's Overturn, not seen since tailing off in the Ebor on the Flat but previously a winner of the Swinton and Galway Hurdles.

Evan Williams's Grade One winner Barizan and northern raiders Washington Irving and Bocamix complete the possibles.

Tony McCoy was back doing what he does best yesterday by riding his first two winners since being crowned the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Rather than risking his already battered frame with potential falls ahead of the William Hill King George VI Chase meeting on Boxing Day, Kempton provided an opportunity to perfect his timing on the Flat.

McCoy took a daring path up the inside rail on his first winner, Nicky Henderson-trained Blue Monster (10-1), in the boxingdayraces.co.uk "Jumpers' Bumper", before Giorgio Quercus took division one of the kempton.co.uk event with conviction.