On Boxing Day (26 December), we will be treated to the sight of some of the greatest National Hunt horses currently in training in the UK going head-to-head in the King George VI Chase, a horse race that has become synonymous with Boxing Day.
Here are 13 things you need to know about this great race…
1. The King George VI Chase first ran in 1937 and was named after the newly crowned king.
2. The first race was won by Southern Hero who, to-date, remains the oldest winner of the race at 12 years old.
3. It is held during the Christmas Festival at Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey.
4. The race is over a distance of three miles and consists of 18 chase fences.
5. It was only run twice before World War II, during which Kempton Park was closed for racing and used as a prisoner-of-war camp.
6. The most successful horse to run in the King George VI is Kauto Star (pictured top alongside Long Run), who won it a remarkable five times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011).
7. The leading jockey of the King George VI Chase is Ruby Walsh, who won it five times — all aboard Kauto Star.
8. The leading trainer over the race’s history is Paul Nicholls — See More Business (1997, 1999), Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), Silviniaco Conti (2013, 2014), Clan Des Obeaux (2018, 2019) and Bravemansgame (2022).
9. The great grey, Desert Orchid won the race four times before bowing out in the 1991 race. He attended Kempton Park to parade every Boxing Day until his death in 2006, aged 27.
10. It is a Grade One race and this year offers £148,098 in prize money to the winner.
11. The race will be shown live on ITV and RacingTV at 2.30pm.
12. The current betting market for the 2024 running of the race has Spillane’s Tower, who is trained by Irish trainer James Joseph Mangan, as the favourite, in what is a top class line-up for this season’s renewal.
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Who are the runners in the 2024 race?
Let’s take a look at this year‘s runners and riders, plus their odds, so that if you fancy it, you can have a flutter.
These runners and riders, plus the odds, are correct as of 23 December. Odds may vary depending on your bookmaker.
Horse: Spillane’s Tower | Jockey: Mark Walsh
Trainer: James Joseph Mangan | Odds: 7/2
Horse: Grey Dawning | Jockey: Harry Skelton
Trainer: Dan Skelton | Odds: 5/1
Horse: Il Est Francais | Jockey: James Reveley
Trainer: Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm | Odds: 5/1
Horse: Banbridge | Jockey: TBC
Trainer: Joseph Patrick O’Brien | Odds: 6/1
Horse: Corbetts Cross | Jockey: Mr Derek O’Connor
Trainer: Emmet Mullins | Odds: 12/1
Horse: L’Homme Presse | Jockey: Charlie Deutsch
Trainer: Venetia Williams | Odds: 12/1
Horse: Envoi Allen | Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
Trainer: Henry De Bromhead | Odds: 16/1
Horse: Bravemansgame | Jockey: Harry Cobden
Trainer: Paul Nicholls | Odds: 20/1
Horse: Juntos Gananmos | Jockey: Felix De Giles
Trainer: D Cottin | Odds: 22/1
Horse: The Real Whacker | Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
Trainer: Patrick Neville | Odds: 33/1
Horse: General En Chef | Jockey: Benjamin Gelhay
Trainer: Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm | Odds: 100/1
Get £10 in FREE bets
Want to place a bet on one of this year’s runners? Sign up to Betway and receive a £10 welcome bet.
How do I place a bet on the King George VI Chase?
Follow our complete guide on how best to bet to find out more.
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You may also be interested in:
Horse & Hound’s 140th anniversary legends: Desert Orchid – ‘Everybody thought I’d gone mad when I sent him to the King George’
A beginner’s guide to betting
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