Horse racing betting: Feltham Novices Chase

It is fair to say that punters look to have a difficult time of it this year at Kempton, and the small fields on Boxing Day mean short prices. Silverburn trades at around 11/8 for the Feltham Novices Chase and Paul Nicholls' charge heads the market with just five other runners. Click here for a free £25 to bet on the Feltham Novices Chase with Stan James Ruby Walsh's mount has yet to win in his last three starts, but it is his five-length defeat to the very smart chaser Hobbs Hill that flags up his prospects here. Hobbs Hill would be favourite for Cheltenham's Royal and Sun Alliance Chase if both bookies and punters alike thought he would have a chance of lasting the distance in that race, and all things considered, it was a gutsy performance. Silverburn is the Hennessy winner Denman's half-brother, so for those who think that talent runs through the family, then Silverburn is for you. Paul Nicholls has always said that Silverburn would make a better chase than hurdler - Silverburn finished fourth in the Ballymore Properties' Hurdle at the Festival - but despite that heroic effort, he is not the highest offcially rated horse in the field. That accolade goes to second favourite, Joe Lively. Winner of six of his completed nine starts, Joe Tizzard's mount has been at home in small-field chases and he has faced just 17 horses in his last four outings. The only drawback with Joe Lively is that he has accumulated his form on undualting tracks in the past and it is fair to say that no one really knows how he will perform around Kempton's flatter pitch. You would have thought that it shouldn't be too much of a problem, but at anything under 2/1 the eight-year-old looks too short. Nicky Henderson and Mick Fitzgerald have given punters their fair share of Boxing Day treats in this event over the years and both Fiddling The Facts and Bacchanal, who won this event in 1997 and 2000 respectively, both came into this race with just one chase appearance under their saddles. The trainer and jockey double up again in an attempt to repeat the trick once more with Barbers Shop, and at around 7/1, the game gelding looks worth a small flutter. Barbers Shop has actually beaten Silverburn once before - on the pair's debut in a bumper in March 2006 - and Henderson subsequently aimed his charge at a race where he then finished third to the very smart Sizing Europe. This is old form, there is no doubt about it, but it shows that he harbours ability and looks worth a gamble given the five-year-old's connections. Here's Johnny has the form to win this contest but had a very hard race at the beginning of the month when finishing 80 lengths behind Joe Lively at Cheltenham. The eight-year-old was checked at a crucial time during the race however, and the ground did the gelding no favours that day. If he has recovered from this, he may be worth consideration, but punters should check how he looks on the day. Old stagers Premiership and Self Defense look to hold little chance given their age, which in this race is virtually of a pensionable level. Verdict: 1pt Barbers Shop @ 4/1 (Stan James) Click here for a free £25 to bet on the Feltham Novices Chase with Stan James