As the 2024 festive season moves into full swing, the 23rd to the 25th of December represents the most prolonged blank period on the British and Irish racing scene. However, the equine action is back with a bang on Boxing Day, with eleven meetings on offer on either side of the Irish Sea.
The first day of the four-day Leopardstown Christmas Festival tops the bill on the Emerald Isle, but the most historic meeting comes in England. When racing fans think of Boxing Day, one contest will immediately spring to mind – the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.
First run in 1937, the King George never fails to keep the Christmas party going. Boasting a roll of honour including the names of five-time winner Kauto Star, four-time champ Desert Orchid, the sensational Arkle and many more equine legends, the King George is the yuletide racing event which stands tall above the rest.
With the clock ticking down to the latest edition of this 3m showpiece, the following 13 runners remain in contention for a place in the history books and a share of the £260,050 prize money.
1. Ahoy Senor– 100/1 with bet365
Trainer: Lucinda Russell
Dual Grade 1 winner, having landed the 2021 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle and 2022 Mildmay Novices’ Chase. Yet to score at the top level outside of novice company but came close when going down by just ½l to Gerri Colombe in the 2024 Aintree Bowl. He posted an encouraging return at Aintree but bombed out when pulled up in the Betfair Chase last time. His only previous outing in this race saw him finish fifth in 2022.
2. Banbridge – 5/1 with bet365
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien
Having claimed the 2023 Manifesto Novices’ Chase and 2024 Punchestown Champion Chase, Banbridge matches Ahoy Senor’s tally of Grade 1 wins. He is also a perfect one from one at this track, following his Silviniaco Conti Chase success in January. He showed little on his seasonal return but was in the process of giving Energumene something to think about when falling at the last in the Hilly Way Chase last time. However, all 10 career wins have come at 2m-2m5f. His only effort over this trip under rules saw him beaten 103l in the 2022 Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. He had his excuses that day but needs to prove he stays this far.
3. Bravemansgame – 20/1 with bet365
Trainer: Paul Nicholls
The first of two former winners in the line-up, Bravemansgame came home 14l clear of the field in the 2022 edition of this. The final flight fall of L’Homme Presse exaggerated that winning margin, but the way he kicked clear of the field oozed class. However, he’s now closing in on his tenth birthday and hasn’t won in nine outings since that victory. On the plus side, his best effort from 2023/24 saw him finish second to Hewick in this, and the drying ground may be in his favour. Even so, he must step up on his two efforts from the current campaign, which saw him finish behind The Real Whacker and Grey Dawning.
4. Corbetts Cross – 8/1 with bet365
Trainer: Emmet Mullins
In the absence of Willie Mullins, it is left to the nephew of the Champion Trainer to fly the family flag in the big one. Long held in high regard by his trainer, Corbett’s Cross delivered in some style when storming 17l clear of the field in the 2024 National Hunt Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival. He finished third behind Geri Colombe and Ahoy Senor in his most recent Grade 1 outing, and with six of his seven wins coming on soft or worse going, the relatively dry forecast may be against him.
5. Envoi Allen – 16/1 with bet365
Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
Prolific top-tier winner whose Grade 1 tally stands at nine following his comeback success in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase. On the downside, he followed up a win in the 2022 edition of that Down Royal event with a 51-length defeat in this race on his only previous visit to Kempton. This Cheveley Park Stud runner retains plenty of talent but isn’t as consistent as he was in his youth.
6. General En Chef – 100/1 with bet365
Trainer: Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm
With three French raiders standing their ground at the time of writing, there may be a strong Gallic flavour to the 2024 King George. Of the trio, this eight-year-old looks to face the stiffest task. Yet to win over quite this far, his form figures in Grade 1 company read 646P3. His fourth in the Coral Gold Cup was a decent effort, but he will need a huge career best to be involved in the finish here.
7. Grey Dawning – 7/2 with bet365
Trainer: Dan Skelton
Britain’s bright new hope in the staying chase division bids to hand Dan Skelton a first win in the Boxing Day highlight. The eye-catching grey broke his Grade 1 duck in the 2024 Turners’ Novices Chase and posted a solid second to Royal Pagaille in the Betfair Chase on his first start in open company. His record at 3m+ stands at 2F31 and on good to soft or quicker at 213. He shouldn’t be far away but looks priced on potential rather than what he has actually achieved.
8. Hewick – 20/1 with bet365
Trainer: Miss Tara Lee Cogan
The 2023 champion also holds an entry in the Savills Hurdle. With the ground likely to come in his favour, it would be nice to see the Shark Hanlon star (Tara Lee Cogan is currently covering for the suspended handler) defend his crown. In four 3m chase outings on good ground, he has lost out by ½l, unseated when in contention at the last, won this race, and finished a ½l second to Envoi Allen last time out. If heading to Kempton and the rain stays away, he surely won’t start at 20/1.
9. Il Est Francais – 5/1 with bet365
Trainer: Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm
Favourite for this for much of autumn, then seeming unlikely to run at all, France’s big hope is now back among the market leaders. Twice successful at the highest level, he thrust his name into the mix when storming to an 11l victory in the 2023 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at this meeting. It then all went wrong when he finished last in a Grade 3 in his homeland. Fast forward to the current season, and he looked back to something like his best when hacking up at Auteuil, only to fall to pieces on his way to a pulled-up effort last time at Auteuil. Reportedly showing all the right signs at home, he is another who should enjoy the forecast conditions.
10. Juntos Ganamos – 16/1 with bet365
Trainer: David Cottin
Rounding out the French trio, Juntos Ganamos achieved his breakout Grade 1 win in the 2023 Prix Ferdinand Dufaure. The son of Martaline has been relatively consistent in winning four of his eight starts since that success, but three of his four defeats have come in Grade 1 company. That said, as a five-year-old, he’s more open to improvement than most, and his trainer showed he could launch a successful cross-Channel raid when saddling Jet Blue to a Grade 2 triumph at Cheltenham earlier in December.
11. L’Homme Presse– 12/1 with bet365
Trainer: Venetia Williams
This Venetia Williams star exploded onto the scene in his novice chase campaign when rattling off five successive wins, including the Grade 1 duo of the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase. He has yet to quite hit those levels since but hasn’t been helped by health issues and looked booked for second when coming down at the last in the 2022 edition of this. Last sighted finishing an excellent fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, he could go well if getting into a good rhythm out in front.
12. Royal Pagaille – Non-Runner
Trainer: Venetia Williams
Second in 2022 but ruled out due to a minor injury issue this year.
13. Spillane’s Tower – 10/3 with bet365
Trainer: James Jospeh Mangan
This six-year-old has raced exclusively in Ireland, where he has picked up two Grade 1 wins, including in the 2024 Champion Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival. Returning to the track in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, his staying on second to Fact To File persuaded connections to stump up the £4,600 supplementary entry fee to take a shot at this prize. Excellent claims if in the same heart here but may not be risked if the ground is deemed too quick on the day.
14. The Real Whacker– 20/1 with bet365
Trainer: Patrick Neville
Heading into 2023/24 as a Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner, many viewed The Real Whacker as a legitimate Gold Cup contender. Five starts and five defeats later, the eight-year-old had fallen some way down the pecking order ahead of his 2024/25 return. That remained the case following an unseat in the Kerry National, but he bounced right back with a brilliant display of jumping to see off Bravemansgame in the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. Good ground would be in his favour, but he managed only a 10l fourth in similar conditions 12 months ago.
The Verdict
This looks like a wide-open edition, with even those towards the head of the market having questions to answer. Spillane’s Tower appeals most but can’t be recommended at this stage, given the concern that good ground may rule him out. Banbridge has to show he stays the trip; Il Est Francais has developed a boom or bust profile of late, and we would need to see more from Grey Dawning to take such skinny odds.
We much prefer an each-way punt in this event and suggest taking two at double-figure prices against the field. The first selection is Shark Hanlon’s defending champion, Hewick. Storming home to score by 1½l in 2023, he’s at his best on quicker ground and ran a stormer last time out at Down Royal.
Secondly, if there is a fly in the ointment, we suspect it may be the David Cottin youngster, Juntos Ganamos. A winner of seven of his eleven starts over fences, he looked as well as ever when scoring at Auteuil in October but 3m3½f on very soft ground was too stern a test last time. Back down in trip, he could be the one to cause a shock.
Recommended Bet: Hewick each way @ 20/1 with bet365
Recommended Bet: Juntos Ganamos @ 16/1 with bet365
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
Paul Harrison
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