Exotic Dancer has finally won a major chase in taking the Lexus at Leopardstown on Sunday after by-passing Boxing Days King George at Kempton.

His cause was helped by the exit of the front running favourite Neptune Collonges two out. However once left in front he ran on well to beat War Of Attrition by twenty lengths.

1st  9 Exotic Dancer 4/1
2nd  9 War Of Attrittion 4/1
3rd  1 Cane Brake 33/1
9 Ran
Distances 20 & 10
Fav Neptune Collonges 5/4 (Fell)
Tote
Win £4.00
Place £1.50 £1.50 £6.50
Exacta £14.70
CSF £20.99

Promising conditional rider Ryan Mania looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after fracturing his femur in a fall at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

He has undergone surgery to pin his leg and it is expected he will be out of action for around four months.

Kauto Star completed a hat trick of King George victories at a packed  Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

The odds-on favourite never looked to be in any danger after being settled mid-division in the early stages before taking the lead coming out of the back straight.

Entering the home straight there were only two challengers in the shape of Albertas Run under AP McCoy and second favourite Vor Por Ustedes, tackling three miles for the first time.

As they approached the second last Kauto Star had his rivals under the cosh and the only danger were the final fences. He pinged the second last but caused a few palpitations at the last as he put in an extra stride just before the jump and dragged his heels through the obstacle, coming home eight lengths ahead of his rivals.      

There was a good battle for second place with Alberta’s Run just getting the better of Voy Por Ustedes.

1st  6 Kauto Star 10/11 fav
2nd 2 Albertas Run 25/1
3rd 11 Voy Por Ustedes 9/2
10 Ran NR 4 Exotic Dancer
Favourite winner
Tote
Win £1.80
Places £1.10  £5.00 £1.90
Exacta £34.40
CSF £31.02

Harchibald finally threw off his “old dog” tag when taking the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. In a closely fought race in which all the runners were in with a chance if good enough as they turned for home.

Favourite Punjabi fell two out, when in contention two out.

Harchibald jumped into the front at the last closely attended by Snap Tie and Blue Bajan. However he did not do his usual when in front and ran on well to record a ¾ length victory.

Straw Bear, last yeas winner, led early on only to fade in the later stages, confirming his decline this season.

1st 3 Harchibald 7/1
2nd 7 Snap Tie 9/2
7 Ran NR 4 Leslingtaylor
Favourite 6 Punjabi 11/8 (Fell)
Tote
Win £6.80
Places £2.50 £3.00
Exacta £42.20
CSF £39.24

Binocular is now as short as 5/4 for the Champion Hurdle, with a best price of 13/8.

For the World Hurdle the 3/1 available on Punchestowns after yesterday afternoon’s Long Walk has disappeared with a general 2/1 now available, although Blue Square is only going 7/4.

Staying with the Long Walk some mixed news concerning One Gulp who was pulled up in the contest. Trainer Paul Webber reports she has ruptured her right front tendon. The injury is not life threatening and he is grateful that Dominic Elsworth realised what had happened and pulled her up quickly. The bad news is she will not be seen on the racecourse again. However a career in the paddocks eventually beckons.  

Eleven runners stand their ground in Boxing Day's Stan James King George Chase at Kempton Park.

The only withdrawal at the final declaration stage was War Of Attrition, who will run in the Lexus at Leopardstown.

It had been expected that Exotic Dancer would also have headed to Leopardstown but connections decided to leave him in the King George instead.

Kauto Star is favourite to win the contest for the third successive year. His nearest rival in the betting is former Quenn Mother and Arkle winner Voy Por ustedes who is stepping up to three miles for the first time.

The other declared runners are Air Force One, Albertas Run, Briareus, Imperial Commander, Mont Misere, Our Vic, Snoopy Loopy and Tamarinbleu.

Having been entered for the Pertemps Qualifier Hurdle Qualifier at Wincanton on Boxing Day, the reigning Gold Cup champion Denman is not amongst the final declarations for the contest.

It is believed connections are still looking for a hurdle race as a seasonal pipe opener for the eight-year-old who has been off the course following problems with an irregular heartbeat.

In what turned out to be a great afternoon's racing, which saw over 14,000 turn up, Ascot had two live contenders for the Cheltenham Festival.

Binocular shortened as favourite in the Champion Hurdle after winning the re-arranged Boylesport.com International Hurdle whilst Punchestowns price for the World Hurdle was halved from 6's into 3's after a facile win in the Long Walk Hurdle.

For a full report on Saturday's Ascot action, as it happened, click here

The BHA have dismissed the appeal of Dean McKeown against his conviction for conspiracy.

McKeown was warned off for four years, however the BHA have said they will consider representations with regards the length of the ban.

There are still twelve runners left in the Stan James  King George VI at Kempton on Boxing Day, although the number will almost certainly reduce come the final declarations as it is unlikely that both Voy Por Ustedes and Exotic Dancer will run.

Most likely Exotic Dancer will go to the Lexus at Leopardstown.

Kauto Star, attempting a hat trick of wins in the event, heads the betting. Vor Por Ustedes stepping up to 3m for the first time is the second favourite at around 3/1.

Another interesting contender is the chasing revelation of the year, Peter Bowen’s ten-year-old Snoopy Loopy, who has been supplemented for the event.

The other runners still in the race are Air Force One, Albertas Run, Briareus, Imperial Commander, Mont Misere, Our Vic, Tamarinbleu and War Of Attrition.

Reigning Gold Cup champion Denman, who has been out of action following an irregular heartbeat, holds an entry at Wincanton on Boxing Day.

He is a surprise entry amongst the six day declarations in the Pertemps Series Hurdles Qualifier.

Denman’s last run over the smaller obstacles is also the only defeat he has suffered under rules.

The Boylesports.com International Hurdle which was lost when Cheltenham was Cancelled will now be run on Saturday at Ascot.

The race will be run at 1:40 and will be shown on BBC1, the BGC Long Walk Hurdle will now be run 30 minutes later than originally planned at 2.10pm. with The Ladbroke at 2.45pm.

After all the pressure from trainers to reschedule the race, the Boylesports.com International has only attracted five runners.

The race was seemingly lost following last weekends abandonment at Cheltenham but following representations from a vociferous minority of trainers the race was rescheduled to Ascot this Saturday.

A cracking renewal of the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon fully vindicated the courses decision to revert the race back to a mid-week position. With decimated fields over the past few years, culminating in a two runner farrago last year, this years renewal saw ten high class competitors line up to face the starter.

This seasons revelation, Snoopy Loopy, set the pace in an attempt to take the sting out of his rivals efforts and it could be argued it was a tactic that worked.

Only the enigmatic grey, Monet’s Garden, posed a serious challenge and the two jumped the last together, with the grey putting in the better jump.

They took the run in against the inside rail and it looked, for a moment, as though they were heading for the open ditch rather than by-passing to the finishing post. However they came across late and in a dour battle Monet’s Garden held off a resurgent Snoopy Loopy by half a length.

It was an open betting heat and minutes before the off there were four co-favourites,  Monet’s Garden, Natal, Lord Henry and My Way De Solzen. Although late money saw My Way De Solzen go off
the 7/2 favourite.   

My Way De Solzen ran a shocking race, eventually pulling up two out and he seems to have fallen out of love with the game. Natal unseated Nick Schofield at the fifth and Lord Henry was never in contention.

click here for full Huntingdon report

1st 4 Monets Garden 5/1
2nd 2 Snoopy Loopy 9/1
3rd 3 Mister Mcgoldrick 20/1
10 Ran NR 5
Distances 1/2 & 5
Fav 9 My Way De Solzen 7/1 (PU)
Tote
Win £5.00
Place £1.80 £2.50 £5.50
Exacta £26.10
CSF £49.36
Time 4' 58.5"

Paul Nicholl's Noland has won the rescheduled John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown, holding off a late challenge from The Listener to win by half a length.

Sent off the 9/4 joint favourite, the other joint favourite War Of Attrition took third place.

The winner was ridden by under fire jockey Sam Thomas and the win must have come as a welcome relief to the rider who has come in for some criticism of his rides in recent weeks.

The Listener's running-on performance on the run in was admirable, considering the blunder he made four out.

1st 5 Noland 9/4 jf
2nd 8 The Listener 9/2
3rd 9 War Of Attrition 9/4 jf
8 Ran NR's 4 & 6
Distances 1/2 & 7
Fav winner & third
Tote
Win £2.90
Place £1.50 £2.00 £1.50
Exacta £12.90
CSF £13.27

The BHA have launched a new site offering discounted, advance purchase, tickets for the coming jumps season.

Discounts include 50% off all Order Of Merit meetings at Ascot.

A BHA representative stated, “we are providing discounts on almost all Jump racing meetings. These discounts vary and include advance booking discounts, group booking discounts, raceday packages (pint and free bet etc) and so on.”

The site can be found at www.gojumpracing.com

It was billed as the battle of the giants with Master Minded coming head-to-head with Tidal Bay.

Had it been a boxing match the referee would have stopped the fight as Master Minded, under replacement jockey AP McCoy, easly beat his rivals.

The only potential danger he faced in his ten length victory came from a loose horse rather than any of his rivals.

McCoy was very impressed with his mount,

"I love these races when you ride a horse like that. I'm not looking forward to the Champion Chase though as I fear I will be looking at his back end!

"I have always said that Moscow Flyer was the best two-miler I have seen but this horse is going the same way.

"He was very clever around the faller at the first, and I spent most of the race worrying about the loose horse rather than the others runners of the fences.

"When I gave him a squeeze he quickened like the horse he is, and he is what you live for as a jump jockey."

Last years winner Twist Magic fell at the second last, when in second place but never threatening.

1st 4 Master Minded 4/7 fav
2nd 6 Tidal Bay 11/4
7 Ran
Distances 10L
Fav winner
Tote
Win £1.70
Place £1.40 £1.60
Exacta £2.60
CSF £2.50
Time 3' 57.0"

Paul Blockley, the trainer who was warned off for two years following a BHA investigation into laying of horses, has decided not to appeal against his conviction and ban.

As a result the suspension of his ban has now been lifted and he will no longer be able to enter any runners, as from Wednesday 3rd December.