Horse Racing Tips: Protektorat to show his class at Huntingdon

There's plenty of quality racing from both Britain and Ireland on Sunday in a trio of National Hunt meetings.

Kelso and Huntingdon are the offerings in the UK, with the Borders National and the Peterborough Chase the features respectively, while over at Cork the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase is the key contest.

We've picked out a trio of runners to follow over the afternoon action from across the venues. Below you can find my Horse Racing Tips for Sunday, December 8.

12:25 Kelso – Cracking Rhapsody @ 10/3 

The Ewan Whillans-trained CRACKING RHAPSODY won the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso over C&D back in the spring, pocketing a top prize of more than £60k for his connections in doing so.

He did that off a mark of 119 and was only beaten a length when third in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr (2m, soft) next time off 10lb higher.

He ran well on his seasonal bow at Hexham, perhaps just looking as if he would benefit from it, and can easily be forgiven coming up shy since in a hot renewal of the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

The handicapper has dropped him 2lb for that and he's expected to go very well back around this Borders layout.

13:40 Cork – Only By Night @ SP 

The Hilly Way Chase that follows on the Cork card looks a belter of a race with Energumene facing the likes of Dinoblue, Ferny Hollow, Banbridge, Blue Lord and Appreciate It on his return to action but it is not an appealing betting heat.

ONLY BY NIGHT was quite taking when making a winning debut over fences at Tipperary for Gavin Cromwell last month and may well back it up here despite a rise in class.

She would have something to find with Zenta on their hurdles exploits but the Willie Mullins inmate will have to jump much better than she did at Ballinrobe in May if she is going to lower the colours of this promising mare and she may be the answer in the Grade 2 event.

13:50 Huntingdon – Protektorat @ 2/1 

The Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon is a fascinating contest and one in which PROTEKTORAT can come out best.

There is a slight concern going this way around but he hasn't tried it for a long while and is a more mature horse now, while it must be a positive that Dan Skelton is willing to let the Ryanair Chase winner try it again.

Ginny's Destiny is a rival of some substance but has, so far, produced his best form at Cheltenham and must prove that is transferrable to this very different track.

Protektorat should be sharper for last month's comeback run and appeals on these terms.

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