With nine King George VI Chase runners left in the feature race among four Grade 1s on a bumper Boxing Day card at Kempton Park, we’re in for a Christmas cracker this year! Plenty of superstar staying chasers have won the showpiece at the Sunbury-on-Thames venue since its inauguration in 1937.
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RELATED: Kempton races today – Discover all about the Sunbury-on-Thames track in our guide.
King George VI Chase Runners 2022 in More Detail
Six of the last dozen renewals of this 3m steeplechase have had a field of nine. We often bemoan small field sizes in these races, but the King George has held up pretty well in recent times. Here’s hoping that trend continues as our experts take a closer look at this year’s hopefuls…
Ahoy Senor
Ahoy Senor- Age: 7
- BHA Rating: 161
- Jockey: Derek Fox
- Trainer: Lucinda Russell
- Form: U/1211/U12121-53
- King George Odds: 33/1 with 10bet
Last year’s runner-up in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over the King George course and distance, Ahoy Senor hasn’t built on the pick of his form from that campaign in open company just yet. A very disappointing last of five when sent off favourite for the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby races in October on his reappearance, this Scottish-trained Dylan Thomas gelding has something to prove now.
Ahoy Senor saw placings from the Towton reversed by Aintree hero Noble Yeats in the Many Clouds Chase the last day. Connections have the option of running him in the Rowland Meyrick back at Wetherby with that Premier Handicap easier on paper than this. There are King George VI Chase runners with more solid claims than Ahoy Senor coming into the race.
Bravemansgame
Bravemansgame- Age: 7
- BHA Rating: 164
- Jockey: Harry Cobden
- Trainer: Paul Nicholls
- Form: 1/36/211132/11114-1
- King George Odds: 7/4 with 10bet
Paul Nicholls is the man when it comes to this contest. The Ditcheat maestro has saddled five different horses to a record dozen King George winners throughout his illustrious training career. Bravemansgame is the stable’s clear first string after his success in the Kauto Star over this course and distance 12 months ago.
Nicholls wouldn’t risk this Brave Mansonnien gelding on rain-softened ground at the Cheltenham Festival in the spring, but he then ran flat at Aintree. Bravemansgame bounced back to form, however, when travelling strongly and jumping well to a cosy success in the Charlie Hall on his return. This has been his long-term target. Bravemansgame is one of the favourites among King George VI Chase runners this year with very good reason.
Given his trainer’s fabulous record in the contest, this could be his crowning moment. Nicholls isn’t obsessed with Cheltenham anymore. He recognises the best opportunities for horses like Bravemansgame lie elsewhere like this. The only thing that could dent this one’s chances is the weather as he’s better on sounder surfaces.
Eldorado Allen
Eldorado Allen- Age: 8
- BHA Rating: 162
- Jockey: Brendan Powell Jr
- Trainer: Joe Tizzard
- Form: 23/1U/230/114225/132137-22
- King George Odds: 18/1 with 10bet
After chasing home both Bravemansgame and then Protektorat in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park races, Eldorado Allen represents a form marker or yardstick for staying chasers this season so far. Team Tizzard have a good recent record in the King George, yet this horse hasn’t reached the heights of Cue Card and Thistlecrack.
Eldorado Allen often seems to find one or two too good and it may be no different for him here. On the bare form of his Wetherby clash with Bravemansgame, he has 3 1/2 lengths to make up. The Khalkevi gelding probably needs to find plenty more than that to have a say in the finish, but he could also be ridden for a place – something connections did with him in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last season.
Envoi Allen
Envoi Allen- Age: 8
- BHA Rating: 165
- Jockey: Rachael Blackmore
- Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
- Form: 1/1111/1111/111F/P1613-31
- King George Odds: 7/1 with 10bet
Still unexposed over the 3m trip, the sole Irish representative among King George VI Chase runners this year, Envoi Allen got his career back on track at Down Royal. Their Champion Chase is always a useful guide to which staying chasers from the Emerald Isle are in form and, while it wasn’t the most fluent round of jumping ever, he remained in contention and showed stamina when others faded.
Henry De Bromhead could be forgiven for leaving the King George off the agenda of all his horses following Minella Indo’s disappointing display 12 months ago. Envoi Allen isn’t a Gold Cup winner picking his way through to the Festival, however, but a horse given a new sense of direction by his Grade 1 win in Northern Ireland. He’s a solid each-way bet if nothing else.
Frodon
Frodon- Age: 10
- BHA Rating: 162
- Jockey: Bryony Frost
- Trainer: Paul Nicholls
- Form: 1/3F543185/11101F115/32321350/12111/3314/14151/1470-13
- King George Odds: 16/1 with 10bet
The only horse in this year’s line-up among past King George winners is Frodon. Rising 11, he remains tough to peg back if given too much rope and allowed to get into a rhythm on the frontend. For recent evidence of that, look no further than his reappearance success under a welter burden of 12st in the Badger Beers Trophy at Wincanton. Our experts’ King George Chase trends also highlight the fine record past victors have returning to Kempton.
Nicholls’ 2020 hero is past his prime now, but we’re dealing with a beloved public horse who has forged a legendary bond and partnership with regular jockey Bryony Frost. Like all veteran thoroughbreds, Frodon is vulnerable to younger, less exposed rivals. He also has something to find with Eldorado Allen, 7 1/2 lengths to be precise, on their Betfair Chase meeting last month.
Hitman
Hitman- Age: 6
- BHA Rating: 160
- Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies
- Trainer: Paul Nicholls
- Form: 2O1/12F13/2232-21
- King George Odds: 9/2 with 10bet
Completing the three-pronged attack of King George VI Chase runners in 2022 from Ditcheat is Hitman. This is a step into the unknown with Falco gelding who counts Sir Alex Ferguson among his owners. Looking at his form figures above, he hasn’t won many races compared to his rivals either. What Hitman has that some others in the line-up don’t is potential.
That’s reflected in his price too. A King George demands plenty more than a three-horse novice chase at Newbury races when returned at 1/7 or a four-runner Haydock graduation event with an 8/13 SP. Those are Hitman’s two most recent victories. If he gets the trip, then bookmakers expect him to be involved. Sam Twiston-Davies rides Hitman for the first time here with Cobden aboard Bravemansgame.
L’Homme Presse
L’Homme Presse- Age: 7
- BHA Rating: 170
- Jockey: Charlie Deutsch
- Trainer: Venetia Williams
- Form: 52/16/111113-1
- King George Odds: 15/8 with 10bet
After progressing at a rate of knots last season, the question was whether L’Homme Presse could build on his fine novice campaign. Soft featuring in the going description is key for this typical Venetia Williams inmate. French-bred and sourced from across the Channel, he went from handicaps to Grade 1 glory at Sandown races in the space of two months and two days.
L’Homme Presse capped everything with Cheltenham Festival success. When the ground came up too good at Ascot, he swerved the 1965 Chase for carrying 12st around Newcastle races in the Rehearsal Chase for his return. The Diamond Boy gelding was value for more than a cosy length victory and now tops official ratings among all of the King George VI Chase runners this year.
That wasn’t the easiest of starting points, yet he passed the test of a Premier Handicap under topweight with flying colours. Going dictates where L’Homme Presse goes but forecast rain gives connections and Williams hope of having a major King George contender. If the assessor is right, then L’Homme Presse has 5lb and upwards in hand on his rivals.
Millers Bank
Millers Bank- Age: 8
- BHA Rating: 155
- Jockey: JJ Burke
- Trainer: Alex Hales
- Form: 225/211/981213/1UU21-5U22
- King George Odds: 40/1 with 10bet
From a leading fancy to the rank outsider now. Millers Bank does have a Grade 1 win on his CV in last season’s Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree races during the spring. He has shaped like he might appreciate further since, but these are very deep waters for the Passing Glance gelding to test his stamina in. Smaller stables like the Alex Hales yard seldom have King George VI Chase runners, so it’s nice for them.
Whether Millers Bank can actually have a meaningful part to play in the race is another matter. The top level race he won fell apart when two rivals didn’t get round. One of those, Pic D’Orhy, showed that wasn’t his true running when besting Millers Bank in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon earlier this month. He also has the most to find on official figures.
Royale Pagaille
Royale Pagaille- Age: 8
- BHA Rating: 163
- Jockey: Tom Scudamore
- Trainer: Venetia Williams
- Form: 661326/F5U2/23/1116/21255-
- King George Odds: 16/1 with 10bet
Potentially completing the line-up this year is Royale Pagaille. While he’s something of a Haydock specialist and his campaign may be geared around a third Peter Marsh Chase win in January, he has to start somewhere. Williams and owners Rich and Susannah Ricci have a horse that’s quite hard to place, because their son of Blue Bresil likes soft ground too.
Royale Pagaille has taken minor honours in the last two editions of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but did land a handicap here over course and distance two years ago. Connections don’t really have many options for his return, but a valuable prize like the King George isn’t easy. Stable jockey Charlie Deutsch will ride L’Homme Presse, so Tom Scudamore is the go-to man on the French-bred mudlark Royale Pagaille.
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