The Christmas season is a golden time of year for sports fans. The Premier League does its bit with an overload of fixtures, whilst few things scream festive season like the onset of the PDC World Darts Championship at the Ally Pally. Also in the mix is a steady stream of horse racing meetings to ensure fans of the equine action have a Christmas cracker or two to look forward to.
For many, attending a racing fixture is part and parcel of the Christmas tradition, and there are plenty of meetings from which to select. Whether you are making the trip to the track or watching from the comfort of your sofa, here we present five festive fixtures which never fail to deliver.
20th and 21st December: Ascot – Howden Christmas Racing Weekend
On the final weekend before the big day, the beautiful Berkshire track of Ascot lays on a two-day feast. Kicking off on Friday, 20th December, the opening day is lit up by the Grade 2 Howden Noel Novices’ Chase, which has attracted stars including Simonsig and Politologue in the past.
Saturday then sees the action move up a notch for the always thrilling Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle as the most talented staying hurdlers lock horns. Away from the track, Ascot promises candle-lit carol singing, a brass band, festive food and drink, and Father Christmas will, of course, be in attendance.
26th and 27th December: Kempton – Christmas Festival
Next up, we have the most famous festive fixture of them all – the magnificent Christmas Festival at the Sunbury-on-Thames track of Kempton. This staple of the British sporting scene keeps the Christmas good times rolling with a sensational opening day, which includes the Grade 1 trio of the Christmas Hurdle, Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, and the headline act of the King George VI Chase.
First run in 1937, the King George is not only the biggest race of the festive period but one of the leading staying chases of the entire season. Won by Arkle, Desert Orchid, Kauto Star, and Cue Card, this three-mile stamina test has produced many of the most iconic moments in the sport.
For racing purists, the opening day is tough to beat. For a more relaxed vibe, head to Kempton on Day 2. The Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase is the racing centrepiece on a family-friendly day featuring face painting, live music after racing, and even a bubbleologist!
26th and 27th December: Wetherby – The William Hill Yorkshire Christmas Meeting
Kempton may be the biggest, but it isn’t the only racing party in town on Boxing Day. Further north, the charming West Yorkshire track of Wetherby stages one of its most popular meetings of the year.
Warp speed ahead! 🚀
Into Overdrive gets the better of Sounds Russian to win the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase 🥇#ITVRacing | #ChristmasFestival | @WetherbyRaces | @HamiltonJamie1 | @mwalfordracing pic.twitter.com/Etiw64RbqC
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 26, 2022
Introduced in 1940, the two-day Yorkshire Christmas Meeting has become a ritual for local fans and regularly draws significant crowds from further afield. The Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase and Castleford Handicap Chase provide the competitive highlights on Day 1 and 2, whilst live music and circus entertainment ensure plenty is going on away from the track. Get there early on Boxing Day to kick off your day with free mulled wine and mince pies.
26th to 29th December: Leopardstown – Christmas Festival
Why have a two-day Christmas Festival when you can stretch it out to four days? Never ones to do anything by half on the racing front, the Irish pull out all the stops in this four-day bonanza from Leopardstown.
If high-quality action is your number one requirement from a racing fixture, this spectacular meeting puts even the Kempton Christmas Festival in the shade. No fewer than seven Grade 1 contests take place over the four days, including the Christmas Hurdle and Savills Chase, which regularly provide significant clues regarding the Irish Cheltenham Gold Cup challenge.
27th December: Chepstow – Welsh Grand National
Last, but by no means least, the biggest day of the Welsh racing year, bar none. Taking up residence at the expansive Monmouthshire venue of Chepstow in 1949, the 3m6½f Welsh Grand National has grown to become the crown jewel of Welsh jumps racing and one of the biggest betting heats of the festive period.
Those heading to Chepstow can expect a fervent Welsh crowd, Christmas joviality, enough food and drink to cure even the worst Christmas hangover, and a cracking seven-race card.
