Haydock Park will bring its racing year to a focused close on Tuesday, December 30, with a seven-race National Hunt programme built around stamina and winter resilience. The afternoon will be anchored by Race 6, the Handicap Chase, carrying a winner’s share of £13,008, and positioned as the card’s defining contest. Around it, a sequence of hurdles and chases will unfold methodically, offering a meeting shaped by substance, progression, and measured intensity rather than spectacle.
Racing will begin at 12:35 pm with Race 1, the Nifty 50 Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, a Class 4 qualifier in the Go North Brindisi Breeze Series. Seven runners will tackle 3m58y and 12 hurdles, immediately setting a tone of patience and measured execution. The £5,281 on offer will reward riders able to balance restraint with intent from the outset.
The tempo will sharpen at 1:05 pm in Race 2, the EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle (Qualifier). Eleven runners will contest the Class 3 GBB race over 1m7f144y and nine hurdles, with £6,535 awaiting the winner. This will be a defining stage for emerging talent, where progression and composure will matter as much as raw ability.
Momentum will continue at 1:35 pm with Race 3, The Classic Bookmaker’ Handicap Chase, a Class 3 GBB event over 2m3f203y. Eight runners will face 15 fences in one of the card’s most tactically demanding races, competing for a winner’s share of £11,618. Precision at speed will be essential here.
The afternoon will lean deeper into stamina at 2:05 pm with Race 4, the Jack Berry House Novices’ Handicap Chase, a Class 4 GBB qualifier in the Go North Forgive ‘N Forget series. Run over 3m1f125y with 19 fences and just five runners declared, the £7,922 contest will place emphasis on rhythm, jumping fluency, and staying power.
A brief reset will follow at 2:35 pm in Race 5, the EBF Junior ‘National Hunt’ Hurdle, a Class 4 GBB race over 1m7f144y. Seven runners and nine hurdles will contest the £4,901 prize, offering a controlled transition before the meeting’s defining moment.
The card’s central statement will arrive at 3:05 pm with Race 6, the Class 2 Handicap Chase. Six runners will face a relentless 3m4f97y journey and 22 fences in the day’s most demanding assignment. With the highest class and the strongest staying emphasis, the £13,008 winner’s share will go to the horse able to conserve energy early and deliver under pressure late.
Contenders: Vanillier, Egbert, Whistle Stop Tour, Regal Blue, Wa Wa, Jupiter Des Bordes
The meeting will conclude at 3:40 pm with Race 7, the ‘Happy New Year’ Handicap Hurdle, a Class 3 contest over 1m7f144y. Eight runners will take on nine hurdles for £10,562, ensuring the card closes with competition rather than ceremony.
This will be a Haydock card shaped by substance, not spectacle. Built around stamina, structured progression, and a feature chase that demands absolute commitment, the Haydock Racecards 30 December will draw the curtain on the year with clarity, grit, and purpose.
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