King George VI Chase: a guide all the possible runners

Gaelic Warrior will have the distinction of being officially the highest-rated runner in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. 

However, the nod of approval from the number crunchers has become something of a poisoned chalice when it comes to the highlight of the Christmas programme. 

The past ten highest-rated runners in the festive showpiece, rated between 167 and 177, have all been beaten, with four of them not even managing to complete.  

Between them, their form figures read F2632PPU33, with Don Cossack, Cue Card, Minella Indo and Allaho among those to be upstaged. The winners have been rated between 3lb and 16lb lower. 

You must travel back to the 174-rated Silviniaco Conti, in 2014, to find the last highest-rated runner to prevail, when he was retaining his crown. 

Gaelic Warrior also has a rating of 174 after his exciting triumph in the John Durkan last month and will attempt to give Ireland their fourth triumph in the past five years after the victories of Tornado Flyer, Hewick and Banbridge. 

That trio went off at 28-1, 12-1 and 7-1, respectively, whereas Gaelic Warrior is disputing favouritism with Jango Baie. The last Irish-trained favourite to oblige was Kicking King, who was sent off at 11-8 when taking the spoils at Sandown 20 years ago. 

Here’s a guide to the 15 left in the mix after the latest confirmations on December 9. There is a supplementary entry on December 20, but no latecomers to the party are expected. 

Official Rating: 166. Jump Index: 8.3. Odds: 16-1. 

Multiple King George winners are common with a dozen horses having won at least two editions of the race in the past 60 years. Wayward Lad (three wins), Desert Orchid (four) and Kauto Star (five) took things to another level. 

On the face of it, that augurs well for Banbridge, a superb jumper who took the honours 12 months ago when having his first run in a 3m chase. 

However, instead of opening new doors, they’ve since been slamming in his face. He subsequently ran miserably in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and he fared little better at Punchestown. His comeback run over 2m at Cork last month was also dull. 

You can forgive him his latest effort, which was probably a pipe-opener, but he will nevertheless arrive with something to prove in what looks like being a deeper contest than last year. Returning champs have finished 544111132U12471342 this century, with Kauto Star responsible for three of those 1s. 

Official Rating: 152. Jump Index: 8.1. Odds: 100-1. 

Croke Park won two Grade One prizes as a novice in the first half of last season, but the form had a shallow look at the time and he’s since had his limitations exposed, included when dropped in grade this campaign. 

Where he turns up over Christmas could well be determined by likely ground conditions as he seems to need a decent surface to show his best. He is not in the same league as Don Cossack, who was in the process of running well for the same connections when falling two out in 2015, and is going to be tricky to place over the months ahead. 

Official Rating: 163. Jump Index: 7.5. Odds: 10-1. 

He’s earned his chance after smooth wins in the Charlie Hall and Peterborough Chase this season, doubling his tally of Grade Two victories in the process. 

However, you can punch holes in the form of his wins this term, achieved at the main expense of Pic D’Orhy and Edwardstone, and his previous five outings in Grade One company have all ended in defeat. 

His decisive back-to-back wins in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon at least point to Kempton playing to his strengths, and the seven-year-old remains relatively unexposed over 3m. His trainer, Venetia Williams, seeks a belated second victory in the race after Teeton Mill in 1998. 

Official Rating: 173. Jump Index: 8.5. Odds: 10-1. 

The compelling clash between Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File in last month’s John Durkan deserves a sequel, but it seems unlikely that the stablemates will again face off again at Kempton. Instead, they are likely to head in different directions over Christmas. 

Gaelic Warrior prevailed by a neck at Punchestown, but only after Fact To File had eroded the front-runner’s big lead and all but collared him. A rematch at Kempton, over half a mile or so further, would be worth going a long way to see, but the common belief is that Fact To File will instead head to Leopardstown for the Savills Chase, in which he finished runner-up last year. 

Of course, there is still time for the jigsaw pieces to be reshuffled. If they do, it goes without saying that Fact To File would be a massive player as he has the requisite stamina, speed, jumping prowess and class. 

The eight-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Ryanair Chase when last on British shores. Let’s hope we see him here again soon. 

Official Rating: 168. Jump Index: 8.5. Odds: 20-1. 

His three Grade One wins at Punchestown have all been achieved with Galopin Des Champs in opposition, so you underestimate him at your peril. 

However, the nine-year-old carried little threat in the John Durkan back at his favourite stamping ground last month after a year on the sidelines. He was a hollow third, finishing 29 lengths behind Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File. 

He’s entitled to be sharper for that outing, but 29 lengths sharper? It could be that his window for another success at the highest level has passed. His trainer has also indicated that his stable flagbearer is not certain to line up. 

Official Rating: 154. Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 66-1. 

He’s a solid, consistent seven-year-old but he’s unproven beyond 2m4f, without looking as if wanting further, and is 0/7 in Grade One contests over hurdles and fences. It would not be a big surprise if he stays at home. 

Official Rating: 174. Jump Index: 8.1. Odds: 7-4. 

Gaelic Warrior’s pulsating all-the-way John Durkan win last month showed a new side to him, as he flashed all his brilliance and then dug deep when it seemed Fact To File was going to pick him off. 

Up until then, we had been used to Gaelic Warrior either outclassing opposition and winning easily or fluffing his lines (five defeats at 13-8 or shorter). There had been little in between. 

His successive lacklustre displays over 2m 1f at Leopardstown in the middle of last winter left us scratching our heads but moving up in trip at the end of the campaign was inspired, with a polished defeat of Grey Dawning over 3m 1f at Aintree being followed by another fluent victory over an extended 2m6f at Sandown. Those efforts helped Willie Mullins retain his trainers’ title and means Gaelic Warrior’s record in England reads 22111. 

Depending on whether your glass if half-empty or half-full, he’s won/lost half of his ten Grade One races. 

These days, he seems effective running in any direction, although his record on right-hand tracks in Britain and Ireland remains superior. His record going in that direction reads 11111211, with his only defeat coming at the hands of Il Etait Temps over 2m at Punchestown in May 2024. 

Kempton should play to his strengths; he’s the highest-rated runner in the line-up; and the trtp is not an issue. On the minus side, there are new kids on the block to overcome, and we don’t know whether that eyeballs out clash last month has left any mark. 

Official Rating: 166. Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 66-1. 

Grangeclare West’s exploits last season included finishing runner-up in the Irish Gold Cup and third in the Grand National. 

That tells us he’s capable of making his presence felt if showing his best, but he needed his first couple of runs last season and it was a case of history repeating itself when he made a low-key return in the John Durkan. 

He's run at Leopardstown over the Christmas programme for the past couple of years and it will be no surprise if he again heads there. 

Official Rating: 160. Jump Index: 7.6. Odds: 50-1. 

Heart Wood was the odd one out in the John Durkan in that he lined up with a (winning) run under his belt, but his proven fitness counted for little as he plugged on to finish a remote fourth. 

Moving back up to 3m is likely to suit him but he is going to have his work cut out. He’s also entered in the Savills Chase, having finished a creditable fourth in that race last season. 

Official Rating: 163. Jump Index: 8.7. Odds: 20-1. 

Il Est Franacis seems blessed with ability and issues in equal measure, developing an all or nothing record. 

He was a stunning winner of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase two years ago, clocking a time that more than 4sec quicker than Hewick managed when landing the King George later in the afternoon. He looked every inch a future King George winner that day and went close to delivering on that promise when beating all bar Banbridge in last year’s renewal. 

However, he had been pulled up with a problem at Auteuil the previous month and the past 12 months have indicated that the seven-year-old – a busy boy early in his career - may never realise his full potential. 

A switch from France to Britain has not immediately revived him, either, to judge by his tame surrender in the 1965 Chase at Ascot last month when he again failed to complete. Even if he can recapture the form he showed last year, which is a big if, he’s still going to have to pull out more. 

Official Rating: 165. Jump Index: 8.3. Odds: 9-4. 

It’s surprising that Nicky Henderson has trained only two King George winners in Long Run and Might Bite. Many believe Jango Baie can give him another after his impressive reappearance win in the 1965 Chase over 2m 4f at Ascot last month. 

He had only four rivals to beat and one of them, Il Est Francais, bombed out badly, but they went a good gallop; his jumping was a treat and he won with great authority in a good time. As an appetiser for the months ahead, it was sumptuous. 

Jango Baie is one of the few in the field unproven over 3m, but that has not stopped Tornado Flyer and Banbridge winning in recent years, or Edredon Bleu before them. 

He’s a been a consistently strong finisher in his races and moving up in trip promises to unlock further improvement. Remember, he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat despite the 2m trip in the Arkle, and he’s often been just getting going at the end of his races over further, too 

His doubters will point to defeats over 2m 4f at Sandown and Aintree in between that Arkle triumph, although he lost on the bob in the former in a muddling affair, while at Aintree he came up a little short against rivals who had skipped Cheltenham. 

Recurring themes for Jango Baie have been his accurate jumping (RaceiQ Jump Index of 8.3) and high Finishing Speed Percentages. Ascot was an ideal prep and it will be exciting to see what he can do unleashed over 3m. 

Official Rating: --. Jump Index: --. Odds: 33-1. 

Nupsula (1987) and The Fellow (1991 and 1992) were French-trained winers of the King George when Desert Orchid was on the scene, while Il Est Francais came close to striking for them last year, too. 

Kolokico, trained by Emmanuel Clayeux, would certainly add a layer of intrigue, not least that he’s only five and would be the youngest winner of the race if successful. 

He has had plenty of racing despite his age (typical for horses trained in France), showing a decent level of form over a range of distances. But can he mix it with some of the best horses in Britain and Ireland? 

Kolokico has come up short in his past three assignments at Grade One level, finding Toscana Du Berlais too strong in the Prix La Haye Jousselin Chase at Auteuil last month. The winner had looked exposed, having won only one of his previous 20 races, while Gold Tweet was just a length behind Kolokico in third. British fans will be familiar with that horse, who was well held in the 2023 Stayers Hurdle, and was fourth in the 2024 Betfair Chase. 

Kolokico will have more on his plate if launching a raid. He usually wears a hood and a tongue-tie. The form of French-trained runners in the race this century reads 14PP54279. 

Official Rating: 162. Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 40-1. 

We need to see how L’Homme Presse fares in handicap company at Cheltenham on Friday before predicting how he will get on at Kempton. 

It does not seem the most orthodox preparation – he will have just two weeks to catch his breath after conceding lumps of weight – but his trainer, Venetia Williams, has pointed out that he has handled relatively quick turnarounds in his races in the past, although he was younger and much lower in the ratings then. 

He was a distant third in last year’s renewal and would have been runner-up in 2022 had he not unshipped his jockey at the last. 

L’Homme Presse’s prospects of another bold show will not be helped by the fact that he generally jumps out to his left. 

The ten-year-old’s window has almost certainly passed – he would be the oldest winer since Kauto Star won in 2011 - but let’s see how he gets on at Cheltenham and then review. 

Official Rating: 157. Jump Index: 7.3. Odds: 100-1. 

Master Chewy has run just once at Kempton, when an impressive winner of the Wayward Lad Novice Chase at this meeting two years ago. 

However, that’s just about the only positive because he has done nothing to suggest he can make a presence felt here. He was a distant last of four behind Jango Baie at Ascot last time and he would rate a doubtful stayer exploring 3m for the first time. 

Official Rating: 156. Jump Index: 8.1. Odds: 5-1. 

Last, but certainly not least, The Jukebox Man. The Harry Redknapp-owned seven-year-old has yet to run a bad race and has made quite an impression in winning each of his three races over fences, albeit his performances have been more about style than substance. 

The highlight of his brief chasing career has been winning the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at this meeting last year, although a 2½-length defeat of Hyland in a time about 11sec slower than the King George later in the afternoon will not have the connections of Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie shaking in their boots. 

At least he showed going right-handed was not an issue. Most of his runs have been on left-hand tracks, and he’s hung in that direction on more than one occasion. 

Unfortunately, The Jukebox Man missed the rest of the campaign, but he picked up from where he left off with a fluent win at from the front Haydock last month. He gave 3lb to the smart Iroko that day and fended him off with something to spare. 

The Jukebox Man is now in a much deeper contest and would be receiving lumps of weight if this were a handicap, but that’s not to say he cannot bridge the gap. He jumps soundly and before switching to chasing had established himself as among the best staying novice hurdlers of the 2023-24 season, finishing runner-up at Cheltenham and Aintree. 

To follow once the final declarations are revealed on December 23.