Every Sunday Noel Michaels will provide free full-card picks for a one racecard in North America. A veteran handicapper and tournament-play pioneer, Michaels also writes a weekly “Weekend Winners” blog for America’s Best Racing with a focus on key stakes races at marquee tracks. This feature will be straight-forward: full-card picks for one Sunday slate of races of his choosing.
Thrillers, Comebacks, and Breathtaking Blowouts: The Top 10 Races of 2025
As 2025 comes to an end, this seems like a good time to look back at the past 12 months and reflect on the best races of the year. Here is a highly subjective list of the top 10 races of 2025, with the criteria being stretch battles, close finishes, and/or exceptional performances in important races at the top levels of competition. We hope you will enjoy plenty of good racing and wagering again in the year ahead. Good luck and happy new year!
Kempton Top Rated Friday 26th December
Kempton Top Rated Friday 26th December
**12:45**
NOBLE PARK 29.3
BARLOVENTO 16.8
U CANT BE SERIOUS 15.4
JASMINE BLISS 7.6
QUEENSBURY BOY 6.5
SECRET DES DIEUX 6.4
EPIC WEST 5.2
KRAK 4.8
TAPLEY 3.4
LUMI PLUGIN 2.3
**13:20**
SALVER 48.0
KITZBUHEL 37.6
WENDIGO 26.6
BLUEKING D’OROUX 8.5
THOMAS MOR 3.9
CREST OF FORTUNE 3.1
**13:55**
SIR GINO 80.7
GOLDEN ACE 29.4
CELTIC DINO 12.2
RUBAUD 8.9
TRIPOLI FLYER 2.8
GIVE IT TO ME OJ 1.6
**14:30**
GAELIC WARRIOR 31.6
FACT TO FILE 31.5
JANGO BAIE 30.6
THE JUKEBOX MAN 12.5
DJELO 8.1
IL EST FRANCAIS 5.8
BANBRIDGE 4.2
MASTER CHEWY 0.7
**15:05**
KLUB DE REVE 20.5
IONIAN 12.1
LOCK STOCK 11.7
ZAMEK 11.2
GNOMON 6.5
JIMBO SPORT 5.6
HERON IN THE PARK 4.9
KAPABILITY 1.7
HANS LIPPERSHEY 1.7
MOUNT BONETE 1.5
MASKARVEL 1.2
COOLER THAN ME 0.9
**15:40**
ONEWAYWEST 25.2
PASO DOBLE 10.6
KAP BOY 9.6
BELIEVITANDUCAN 9.3
SURREY LORD 8.4
GEORGE’S LAD 6.7
HAMSIYANN 5.2
NORTH LODGE 4.6
JUS DE CITRON 3.1
KING OF THE ROAD 2.1
EMAILANDY 1.4
Aintree Top Rated Friday 26th December
Aintree Top Rated Friday 26th December
**12:00**
BROOMFIELD ADERRA 57.4
ANALIESE 23.9
HARD DEALT 13.6
THE SECRET PEARL 11.5
SWEET MAGIC 8.2
DISCO ANNIE 6.5
JAMMY JAY 3.8
**12:30**
JOSH THE BOSS 56.4
HELTENHAM 29.7
PRAIRIE WOLF 21.9
MINELLA DRAMA 18.1
INEDIT STAR 8.2
**13:05**
MYDADDYPADDY 58.1
IDAHO SUN 17.0
STARMOUNT 7.5
STORMING GEORGE 4.5
GLANCE AT MIDNIGHT 2.6
THE LAST CLOUD 1.3
WAHRAAN 0.8
**13:40**
INDEEVAR BLEU 21.9
BEAR MARKET 20.6
SERIOUS OPERATOR 14.4
FLORIDA DREAMS 10.3
DEDICATED HERO 6.8
RUBBER BALL 4.9
BREWIN’UPASTORM 12.4
SUPREMELY WEST 3.8
**14:15**
BLENKINSOP 61.1
FORTUNATE MAN 17.9
KELCE 8.4
DUKE OF DECEPTION 10.2
SNIPE 12.1
DUBAI DAYS 8.3
SNOWY EVENING 4.1
SUNSET HILL 4.3
**14:50**
CHUGGY 114.9
JUBY BALL 47.1
THROATLASH 20.3
ROYSSE 2.7
**15:25**
MOMENTS IN TIME 14.7
NO WALKOVER 23.9
GRAZEON SUNSHINE 19.4
WONDER FLYING 10.4
CAPITAL HOUSE 3.5
DOUBLE INDEMNITY 3.4
RACSCOPIC 0.9
BARGAIN HUNTER 0.6
