King George VI at Kempton preview, contenders, odds & tips
Coral shares its preview and tip for the Boxing Day big race at Kempton - the King George VI
King George VI contenders and big-race tip
A deep and high class field of seven contenders line up for the three-mile King George VI on Boxing Day at Kempton. They have often run against one another in the past and all are winners of top-class races representing powerful and prominent stables. With so much class on show, the winner of this race is not easy to find, so this has the potential to become a real vintage renewal.
Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie is the youngest in the field at six years old. The Tiger Groom gelding was last season’s Arkle winner who backed up that form by winning the 1965 Chase at Ascot in terrific style last month. He finished strongly over the two and three-quarter mile trip that day, suggesting that three miles here could be his best trip. He is a talented individual with the most potential for improvement.
Willie Mullins’ pair, Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, add intriguing depth to the race. The former is ridden by stable jockey Paul Townend, while the latter, owned by JP McManus, is ridden by his retained rider, Mark Walsh. Neither horse appears to be the stable’s preferred chance. Both are nearly equally rated, and finished within a neck of one another at Punchestown in the John Durkan Memorial Chase, with Gaelic Warrior winning that duel. He is the younger of the two at seven years old, and is fairly unexposed over three miles but showed a great kick of speed to win the Bowl Chase at Aintree last spring, seemingly coming from nowhere, and could employ that turn of foot again to get past his stablemate once again. Fact To File is the better qualified over three-miles, but is more the sort to keep on rather than win going away.
The Jukebox Man is lower in the ratings at 156 but cannot be forgotten about here; he won over course and distance this time last year in the Kauto Star and is a very good jumper, which could make all the difference in a high stakes race like this. The best may be yet to come from this Ben Pauling-trained gelding, who represents a yard in excellent form.
Djelo can hold his own in this class of race and has won both of his Grade Two starts this term on the run up to today. His form in Grade One races behind the Mullins pair, though, makes his chance look less likely. He is clearly in great form this season and perhaps we will see a career best from him this time, though he would be hard pressed to win.
Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge wears a visor for the first-time today, having been disappointing in his latest three starts. The oldest in the field at nine-years-old, he doesn’t look quite the force of old at present, though his mark is not downgrading yet. Sean Bowen rides, which might make a difference.
Harry Cobden rides Il Est Francais, who made no impression at all when pulling up at Ascot behind Jango Baie at Ascot last month. A course and distance winner of the Kauto Star and second in this race last year, he seems too large a price at 18/1, given that a bounce back to form is entirely possible and his trainer, Tom George, has lately hit a very strong strain of form.
Finally, Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Master Chewy sits at the bottom of the market, tried over three miles for the first time here. A multiple Grade Two winner over two miles, this is new territory for him and he has had wind surgery since his underwhelming return to action, so a surprise is not totally out of the question, but he has plenty to find on ratings up against the best of the rest.
Coral’s big-race tip: Il Est Francais each-way at 18/1
Coral also has an extensive race-by-race preview for Kempton on Friday, December 26. The article features tips for all of the races happening at this weekend's meet.
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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication.
