Kempton tips for Tuesday: Put More Buck’s on Altior and Special Tiara

Just four horses dare to oppose Altior, and of those Marracudja can bounce back from a disappointing display last time out and chase him home for Paul Nicholls.

This five-year-old’s chasing career began with back-to-back victories, including at Cheltenham, before he was last of four behind Altior when previously in action, but an ease in grade should see him back in the frame.

Coral ambassador Dan Skelton saddles Stephanie Frances in this, who has a handy 7lb sex allowance, but this is a step up in quality of opposition for the mare.

Tiara a Special wager for second Desert Orchid success

Henry De Bromhead’s Special Tiara races off bottom weight in the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase (14:20), and can make that tell to regain the crown they never lost.

Winner of this race in 2014, off the same 11st on board in this renewal, the nine-year-old is given last year’s runner-up and 2013 victory Sire De Grugy a whopping 10lb.

The Moore family’s stable star comes into a third Desert Orchid Chase off the back of a narrow defeat by Un De Sceaux in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, but this will be Sire De Grugy’s fourth run of the campaign already.

Giving so much weight to Special Tiara, who was third of eight behind Queen Mother Champion Chase dark horse Fox Norton on seasonal reappearance in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham, is a huge ask.

It really does look as though Special Tiara has been laid up for the Desert Orchid, so side with De Bromhead and Noel Fehily over Gary and Jamie Moore here.

More Buck’s odds well worth taking

Kempton’s Winter Festival meeting is closed out by a class 2 handicap chase over 3m (15:30) and More Buck’s looks well-weighted to land the hat-trick for champion trainer Nicholls.

This six-year-old impressively made all in an amateur riders’ handicap over the trip at Sandown last time out, beating the once 136 rated Azure Fly by a half-a-length.

More Buck’s was following up on another class 3 success at Fontwell under Sean Bowen, who returns in the saddle. Some of his race rivals he steps to face here have plenty of questions to answer.

Out Sam is in poor form and fell last time out, as did Go Conquer; Buddy Bolero hasn’t been seen on a racecourse for 656 days and Opening Batsman saw his course and distance win happen almost four years ago.

Bally Longford, twice third for Colin Tizzard at Cheltenham this season, may pose some danger off 1lb higher than More Buck’s, but top weight Double Shuffle has a lot do. Siding with More Buck’s odds make sense, then.

Kempton tips for Tuesday, December 27

12:40 Master Blueyes
13:10 Nordic Nymph
13:45 Altior (NAP), Marracudja (forecast)
14:20 Special Tiara
14:55 Eddiemaurice (E/W)
15:30 More Buck’s (NB)

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