It's already episode 10 of this season's Upping The Ante as David Jennings and Johnny Dineen return with their thoughts on the opening Grade 1s of the year in Britain and Ireland.

Kempton's card on Tuesday sees some big names in action and Keith Melrose from the Racing Post provides his three best bets on the card.

Football and racing have forever been mainstays of the Boxing Day sporting calendar and Monday is packed full of action from each.

Boxing Day is always one of the UK's busiest days of sport, with an almost full football fixture list complemented by action from the worlds of horse racing and cricket among others.

One of the best cards of the year takes place at Kempton on Boxing Day and Robbie Wilders from the Racing Post serves up three fancies.

It is the biggest single day of racing action in the UK and Ireland in the calendar year with no fewer than 11 meetings set to take place after the Christmas Day eating frenzy is complete.

The festive season brings with it some of the highlights of the racing calendar, including standout meetings at Kempton and Leopardstown. bet365’s Pat Cooney takes his pick of three novices to watch over the Christmas period. 

The plan initially for Ahoy Senor was the King George, then we were eyeing up a race at Wetherby instead, but we’re changing our mind again and he will run at Kempton on Boxing Day. 

David Jennings and Johnny Dineen returned for episode seven of Upping The Ante this week as they looked back at recent action and ahead to the festive period of racing.

Racing has been going through a rather uncertain spell with the freezing weather causing havoc of late, but it should all have passed over by the time the major Christmas schedule is due.

The two-day Christmas Festival at Kempton Park is the jewel in Britain's festive racing crown, with 12 top-quality races taking place immediately after Christmas Day.

The World Cup in Qatar takes a breather ahead of the quarter-finals and that means it's a more relaxed Wednesday this week, with domestic football and racing coming to the fore.