2024 Wayward Lad Novices Chase Betting Odds at Kempton Park racecourse

Friday, 27 December 2024

The Wayward Lad Novices' Chase takes place on 27 December, with Kempton Park hosting a Grade Two encounter where four horses all have a realistic chance of landing a success. Sir Gino could well go off as favourite and the four-year-old is also entered for the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, although we’d expect him to run in this clash.

Nicky Henderson could have a potential superstar on his hands and there could be some stiff competition to come from Ballyburn who has been racking up the wins this term. Willie Mullins will want his charge to continue his successful ways, with Kalif Du Berlais and Rubaud also in contention to run big races.

2024 Wayward Lad Novices' Chase

We’re looking forward to the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase where there are some notable horses set to make it an exciting encounter. Sir Gino has been a successful horse for Nicky Henderson and the four-year-old is hard to disregard after a spate of successes. The horse has yet to be beaten and the latest success came at Newcastle.

That was a significant eight-length success against six other runners in the north-east, with that coming after a victory at Aintree. Previous triumphs came at Cheltenham and Kempton, although there’s no guarantee that Ballyburn will taste a defeat considering how well the Willie Mullins-trained charge has been performing.

The Irish contender has landed some notable victories in his career to date, with Ballyburn having made short work of the field in a beginners’ chase at Punchestown. This came after a success at the same track previously and the success at the Cheltenham Festival really announced the horse’s credentials.

That was in the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, although it’s not necessarily a two-horse race, with Kalif Du Berlais not a horse that can be disregarded after some smart performances of his own. Paul Nicholls trains a charge who can potentially be progressive as a four-year-old, with a success coming at Newbury at the end of November.