King George VI Chase

King George VI Chase Tips: Nine picks from Betfair's best

King George VI Chase
Find out who our racing experts are selecting for the 2024 King George VI Chase

Looking for the winner of the 2024 King George VI Chase? You've come to the right place. Find nine views on the Boxing Day big one from Betting.Betfair regulars including Daryl Carter, Kevin Blake and Katie Midwinter as well as runners and rides for ambassadors Paul Nicholls and Rachael Blackmore...


Rachael Blackmore Boxing Day Superboost

Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore rides Envoi Allen in the 2024 King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. The horse has finished inside the top six in all of his last seven starts and today you can back him to finish in the top six again at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 (from 8/131.61).

To take advantage of this superboost on the Betfair Sportsbook just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note: This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsers or writers.



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14:30 Kempton - Paul Nicholls says: Bravemansgame has a good each-way chance

Paul Nicholls: "He's back for another crack at the King George having won it two years ago and then finished second 12 months ago despite being hampered at the second last fence.

"It looks a stronger renewal this time but he's in very good shape, looks great and will love the drying ground at Kempton.

"He has to improve on his two runs this season but he has hardly run badly and I'd like to think he has a lovely each way chance."


14:30 Kempton - Rachael Blackmore says: Envoi Allen in good form

Rachael Blackmore: "I'm really looking forward to riding Envoi Allen in the King George VI Chase on Thursday.

"It's obviously a very competitive King George, it looks like a really open race, but Envoi is in great form at home. He's a horse who will tell you when he's in good form, and he is giving us all the right signs.

"He was disappointing in the King George two years ago, but that just wasn't his running. He's 10 years old now, but he was very good at Down Royal on his seasonal debut, he proved that he retains all his enthusiasm for racing.

"He really had to battle to beat Hewick, who, as we know, is a very good horse, last year's King George winner. He came out of the race really well too, and we hope that he can run a big race on Thursday."


14:30 Kempton - Kevin Blake says: Back Banbridge

Kevin Blake: "The one that makes the most appeal to me is the Joseph O'Brien-trained Banbridge. The eight-year-old has made a steady rather than a spectacular rise to the top over fences, with his well-publicised preference for a sound surface meaning that some of the gaps between his runs have been longer than intended.

"While Banbridge's stamina for three miles has yet to be proven, he has long hinted that such a trip will be within his reach. The cheekpieces that he responded so well to at the Punchestown Festival last season are reapplied, the ground has very much come right for him and Paul Townend takes over the ride on him. He ticks an awful lot of boxes and a big run from him looks assured."


14:30 Kempton - Rhys Williams says: Back Juntos Ganamos

Rhys Williams: "When horses are moving between racing in Britain and France, the suitability of the different test for the horse is an important factor. This can see horses perform significantly above the previous level they achieved (e.g. Gold Tweet over hurdles in Britain) or significantly below it (e.g. Thyme Hill and Al Boum Photo in France).

"I think Juntos Ganamos has the potential to fit into the former category with the test that the King George provides looking likely to suit him. His jumping has let him down at times at Auteuil including when last seen in the Prix La Haye Jousselin. He went sharply out to the right at the Rail, Ditch and Fence and barely clambered over it and made another mistake at the next and his chance was gone.

"Given that he's shown a tendency to go to the right at fences in the past, I think the switch to a right-handed track will suit and I think the British fences will be a more suitable jumping test for him too. He's tactically versatile and I think he could be the type to improve for tracking a good pace so while the bare form of his performances leaves him with something to find, there are reasons to think he could take a step forward for the different test."


14:30 Kempton - Katie Midwinter says: Back Il Est Francais

Katie Midwinter: "In the prestigious King George VI Chase, one of the highlights of the Festive period, a certain French-bred gelding makes the most appeal for win purposes.

"Il Est Francais was exceptional over course-and-distance when jumping his rivals into submission at the meeting last year, inflicting an 11-length defeat upon Hermes Allen in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase. His jumping was sublime and it was one of the performances of the season, a display that's impossible to forget in a hurry.

"Whilst he beat a decent field of young chasers on that occasion, the form isn't the strongest in this field and he will need to prove himself against the level of opposition he faces here, however, his performance was mesmerising and it's plausible he could have beaten any of his current rivals had they have lined up against him that day. He looked unbeatable.

"If the six-year-old son of Karaktar can replicate an effort anywhere near the level he produced 12 months ago, he will be tough to beat in this contest. Whether or not he remains capable of a repeat performance remains to be seen, which is factored into his price considering he has disappointed twice since.

"Whilst it's somewhat risky to put every faith in a gelding who has been inconsistent this year, horses do have off days and hopefully Il Est Francais has had his lot for 2024. There's every chance the return to Kempton could reignite the spark in this superstar, and the 5/16.00 on offer would appear a generous price if an in-form version shows up."


14:30 Kempton - Daryl Carter says: Back Spillanes Tower

Daryl Carter: "It is a fascinating contest in which all have claims and negatives to their chances. Starting at the top of this market, Spillane's Tower - 3/14.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - holds the best recent form with his excellent John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase runner-up effort to Fact To File, and there's little doubt a repeat will make him tough to beat.

"That form is levels above what any of these have achieved. Although there are questions about his first run outside of Ireland, he is an improving six-year-old who is firmly on the upgrade, and if he is anything like he was last season, he will improve again now that he is race-fit.

"Mark Walsh chose him, and his connections supplemented him for this race. The sharp three miles should suit him well; he is unexposed at this trip. Besides being very critical and suggesting he is at his best at Punchestown (form figures of 21112) and unproven on his travels, he is very hard to escape.

"I envisage him travelling strongly into this contest and outstaying some of these rivals in the finish. He is as good as having a Fact To File or Gallopin Des Champs in this race on his latest piece of form, which sets a high standard."


14:30 Kempton - Mark Milligan says: Back Il Est Francais

Mark Milligan: "Although things haven't gone entirely to plan since, the demolition job that Il Est Francais pulled off in last year's Kauto Star Chase at Kempton in still relatively fresh in the memory and I'm taking him to get back on track in a King George that perhaps lacks the sort of quality often associated with the race.

"While he's clearly had a physical issue or two, when things click (as they did at this track last year), Il Est Francais is a fast, fluent jumper and he could simply have too many guns around a course that clearly plays very well to his strengths.

"It's also worth bearing in mind that the French challenger is not yet seven years old and his best days could quite clearly still be ahead of him. I'm hoping we see a repeat of the sort of performance he put in 12 months ago."


14:30 Kempton - Timeform says: Back Spillanes Tower

Timeform: "Timeform top-rated Spillane's Tower looks the one to beat, though, following his excellent return behind the very promising Fact To File in the John Durkan at Punchestown last month.

He developed into a smart novice last season, winning three times, notably a Grade 1 event at Fairyhouse over two and a half miles and another Grade 1 over three miles at the Punchestown Festival. Spillane's Tower improved in the region of 10lb when runner-up in the John Durkan, though, and also shaped as though he's ready for a return to three miles.

That is the best form on offer in the King George and three miles round Kempton should be tailormade for him. He is a horse who is yet to reach the ceiling of his ability - he has the 'Timeform small p' attached to his rating - and is fancied to give trainer James Joseph Mangan one of his biggest successes to date."


14:30 Kempton - Alan Dudman says: Back Il Est Francais

Alan Dudman: "Horses can look competent and not exceptional, but Il Est Francais has looked exceptional, none more so than his Kauto Star triumph on the card for Gallic followers a year ago.

"Il Est Francais at 5/16.00 is the bet, and Kempton is very much a track where a front-runner can build up momentum and rhythm with a lead and apply pressure - and I expect him to do just that. He won't mind no rain either as good ground is not a hindrance.

"Corbett's Cross, a 7/18.00 chance in the race for the JP Green and Gold livery, tends to be held up and he's always been very novicey at his fences - something he cannot afford to do at pace. Grey Dawning I'm sure will take a lead and sit handy, likewise Hewick, who beat Bravemansgame in the King George last year, but Hewick made a couple of errors and it looks a stronger renewal this time around.

"If Il Est Francais had won last time in France, he'd be more like a 3s shot for this, or even shorter, and we should never write off a runner after one disappointment, and he has bounced back before after blowing out."


Final tally of King George selections from Betfair's tipsters (not including Ambassadors)

Il Est Francais - 3
Spillanes Tower - 2
Banbridge - 1
Juntos Gamanos - 1


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