The latest news and best bets in our daily horse racing blog, plus our tipping competition
12.45pm Vote early, vote often in Kauto Star poll
Will Hayler: Never mind counting down the days to Christmas - it's now less than a fortnight to the King George VI Chase.
Although a fifth victory in the race would surely count as a career highlight, the Racing for Change website is inviting readers to vote for 'Kauto's Star Moment' here.
As I write this, a grand total of three votes have so far been cast (although, to be fair, the feature only appeared a couple of hours ago), so why not add yours? The good news is that Racing UK have provided video footage of all 10 races, so you can enjoy watching some of this great horse's finest moments before making up your mind. Seems like a good way to waste an hour to me.
Today's best bets, by Chris Cook
Trainers and owners are normally most reluctant to talk about other people's horses, especially when there's a big race coming up and in spite of the best efforts of Her Majesty's press to get them to say something provocative. But yesterday's pre-King George media lunch seems to have featured a tense atmosphere similar to the weigh-in before a major fight, with Paul Nicholls predicting Long Run won't improve as much as many expect for his Haydock defeat by Kauto Star, while Robert Waley-Cohen spoke of his pride that Long Run had never fallen or been pulled up, "unlike Kauto Star".
We'll sort it out soon enough, gents. Personally, I'm starting to wonder whether Diamond Harry might not be the best value in the race each-way at 16-1, a quarter the odds for three places. Yes, he was well beaten in the Betfair but that was his first race in a year and he'd recently had a setback when getting cast in his box at Wetherby.
A big, lumbering chaser like him is quite likely to be sharper for his first start of the season. Of course, we don't know how he'll cope with a right-handed track but I can't fear that until I've reason to doubt him.
Don't look now but there's racing at Catterick in mid-December, which, for much of last winter, was being used for the filming of Frozen Planet.
Crowning Jewel (1.20) has probably done well to get within a length and a half of Nicky Henderson's expensive Malt Master at Newcastle last time, in a race Henderson won with Quantitativeeasing two years before. The pair were nine lengths clear and Crowning Jewel has a fine chance at 7-4 to get off the mark at the second attempt over obstacles today, despite the presence of a couple of interesting rivals. Coincidence backers will like the fact that Bourne is ridden by Jason Maguire.
Free Speech (2.10) and Hunt Ball (2.40) are the ones I was hoping to back at Folkestone but both are unattractively short at odds-on, so I'm moving on to Lajidaal (3.10), who should be sharper for his first run in six months at Plumpton last week. Gary Moore's four-year-old still has some scope for progress, which cannot be said of most of his rivals, and the extra half-mile also appeals as a positive.
Tipping competition, day two
Ormrod76 score a first-day double to take the lead, thanks to Join Up (9-1) and Abnaki (4-1). A fair number of you had each winner as a single, while the other one, Eastward Ho (5-1) was also popular.
Today, we'd like your tips, please, for these races: 2.30 Southwell, 2.50 Catterick, 3.10 Folkestone.
This week's prize is a copy of Warrior, the real 'war horse', who spent four years on the Western Front during World War I, led a charge that helped to stop the German Spring offensive in 1918 and returned to Britain to win point to point races. It's written by General Jack Seely, Brough Scott's grandfather, who rode him. If you don't win it, you can buy it here and it will make excellent Christmas reading for someone.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of �1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -3.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
Standings after day one
Ormrod76 +12
xwireman +7
sangfroid +7
diegoisgod +7
BearRides +7
robmct +7
Lameduck +3
curlycov +3
terrornovan +3
ToffeeDan1 +3
Shrewdette +3
orso +3
JahLion +2
Sportingchad +2
unfaircomment +2
JimmyDeuce +2
William36 +2
GForce1 +2
glavintoby -3
elbonjourno -3
millreef -3
factormax -3
fatfrank29 -3
tanias -3
Copshaw -3
jaygee1 -3
slackdad38 -3
chiefhk -3
londonpatrick -3
chanleyman -3
SmokingGun1 -3
shears39 -3
ElMatador1 -3
tom1977 -3
davo10 -3
kenty58 -3
craighoward7 -3
Ellandback -3
MauriceNL -3
natwho -3
hegman -3
Blitzwing -3
Harrytheactor -3
melonk -3
Thewrongtree -3
goofs -3
SussexRH -3
Cairo -3
carl31 -3
Mulldog -3
hunterhibby -3
spudpt -3
Lindsey6677 -3
sandiuk -3
TL127 -3
coma88 -3
cerises -3
Mai11 -3
Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/13/live-racing-december-13-2011
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