King George VI Chase: 2023 Betting Tips and Free Bets

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Keeping with tradition, Kempton Park will host the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day and the antepost market is already starting to take shape ahead of what could be an exciting renewal. Here at betting.bet we’ll provide the latest race odds and free bet offers from our betting partners and race sponsors, Ladbrokes. We’ll also look back at past renewals and understand just why the King George VI Chase has become one of the highlights of the UK National Hunt season.

The King George VI Chase: A Brief Introduction

The King George VI Chase was first contested back in 1937 although there were just two pre-World War 2 renewals before the race was postponed until 1947. Since that reintroduction in 1947, the King George VI Chase has taken place on Boxing Day as part of Kempton’s Christmas Festival.

The ‘King George’ is a Grade 1 race contested over three miles and eighteen fences. Open to horses aged four years and over, this is the UK’s second most prestigious chase behind the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

King George Record Breakers

Some of the sports most iconic names have won the King George VI Chase with just fifteen horses winning the race more than once. Halloween was the first horse to win the King George more than once whilst Pendil was the first to achieve back-to-back wins. There are just two horses to claim more than two King George VI wins; Desert Orchid has won four and Kauto Star a record-breaking five.

Below is a full list of horses to earn multiple King George VI Chase wins.

2022 Recap

Trainer, Paul Nicholls, has become synonymous with this race in recent years and since training his first King George winner back in 1997, Nicholls had chalked up a total of 12 race wins going into the 2022 renewal. It was therefore no surprise to see 11/4 shot, Bravemansgame cross the line first twelve months ago. Bravemansgame won by a commanding 14-length distance from Royale Pagaille and stablemate, Frodon.

L’Homme Presse started last years renewal as the bookies’ 9/4 favourite but the Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old looked well-beaten before he unseated jockey, Charlie Deutsch at the final fence.

This Year’s Market Leaders

Ahead of confirmations and final declarations there are sixteen horses that hold King George entries. Each of last year’s first three home could feature as could 2022 beaten favourite, L’Homme Presse.

Reigning champion, Bravemansgame is joint-favourite with race sponsors, Ladbrokes despite failing to win any of his four races since Boxing Day last year. The eight-year-old finished second on both runs in November, including a six-length defeat to Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last time out.

Royale Pagaille has shortened into 10/1 following that Betfair Chase success and there is a growing confidence that last year’s runner-up could go one better in 2023. Royale Pagaille won a handicap chase over C&D during the 2020 Christmas Festival but his only other four wins in the UK have all come at Haydock. The nine-year-old was well-beaten in the Cheltenham Gold Cup back in March before falling at Fairyhouse in the Irish Grand National in April.

The other antepost joint-favourite is the in-form seven-year-old, Gerri Colombe. The Gordon Elliott-trained entry has never raced at Kempton but there are very few things to dislike about him. Won the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on his seasonal reappearance last month to stretch his record to ten wins in eleven runs.

Gerri Colombe’s only defeat came in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at this year’s Cheltenham Festival. He was beaten by The Real Whacker by a short-head at Cheltenham and The Real Whacker could also feature at Kempton. However, his only run since the Cheltenham Festival saw him pull up when running off top weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month and can be easily opposed.

Both Allaho and Shishkin will shorten considerably in the betting if either are declared to run. Allaho has enjoyed most success over two and a half miles but he did win last year’s Punchestown Gold Cup over three miles. Injury kept Allaho off the track for 561 days following that win at Punchestown but he made all on his return to racing in a Grade 2 at Clonmel last month. Allaho is 3/1 to win a third Ryanair Chase at next year’s Cheltenham Festival and that seems a far more attractive proposition than the 5/1 on offer for him in the King George. Like Allaho, Shishkin’s progress has been curtailed by injury but the decision by trainer, Nicky Henderson to step him up in trip last year seemed to put him back on the right path. Shishkin earned Grade 1 wins in the Betfair Ascot Chase and Aintree Bowl either side of a second place finish in this year’s Ryanair Chase. He refused to race on his reappearance at Ascot in November and plans for swift return to action were dashed after the abandonment of a planned meeting at Newcastle a week later. Shishkin has two previous Christmas Festival wins under his belt, winning a novice chase in 2020 and the Grade 2 Desert Orchid Chase in 2021.

Following our successful tips for the Grand National 2023, it is safe to say that we know our stuff when it comes to horse racing tips!

King George VI Chase Odds

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