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Boxing day can only mean one thing at Parimatch - some excellent racing at the Kempton racecourse with us offering our King George VI Chase odds
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Gaelic Warrior
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The King George VI Chase returns to Kempton Park on Saturday 26 December 2026, bringing many of the leading staying chasers together for the biggest British jumps race of the Christmas period.
Live King George VI Chase odds will appear above once the market is available. Entries have not yet been published, so any names discussed during the summer should be treated as possible contenders rather than confirmed runners.
For today’s meetings and prices from across Britain and Ireland, browse the latest horse racing odds.
The 2026 race is scheduled for 2.30pm on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December.
King George VI Chase Day opens Kempton’s two-day Christmas Festival. The current Saturday card also includes the Christmas Hurdle and Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, with further racing taking place on Sunday 27 December. Times and race names remain subject to change.
The King George is a Grade 1 steeplechase run over three miles. Horses jump 18 fences around Kempton, a relatively flat and fast right-handed course where losing rhythm can be costly.
It also occupies an important point in the staying chase season. The race forms the middle leg of The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown, after the Betfair Chase at Haydock and before the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
That creates a natural link with the latest Cheltenham Festival odds, although Kempton and Cheltenham reward different qualities.
There is no reliable 2026 favourite yet.
The leading staying chasers still have their autumn campaigns ahead of them. Some will begin at Haydock, Down Royal or Punchestown. Others may not reappear until late November or early December.
One strong comeback can transform the market. So can a below-par run.
Early King George VI Chase odds may offer larger prices, but they arrive before entries, final plans and jockey bookings are known. A horse can be prominent in the betting without ever travelling to Kempton.
Check the rules attached to the selection before confirming an ante-post bet. Unless non-runner money-back protection is clearly included, the stake may be lost if the horse does not line up.
Prices will appear at the top of this page once Parimatch opens or updates the market.
The official 2026 King George entries have not yet been released.
For comparison, the initial list for the 2025 race was published on 25 November. Twenty horses remained at that stage, before the field was reduced further during December.
The same timetable is not guaranteed for 2026, but the picture should become clearer during the final weeks before Christmas.
Trainers may enter more than one horse before making a final choice. Ground conditions, performances in autumn races and the wellbeing of each runner can all change those plans.
Even a strong public statement should not be treated as a declaration. The final field is only settled shortly before the race.
Kempton does not present the same stamina test as Cheltenham or Aintree.
Three miles still needs to be seen out, yet the sharper track often places greater emphasis on travelling speed and accurate jumping. A horse that becomes outpaced midway through the race may struggle to recover before the home straight.
There is little time to reorganise after a mistake either.
The fences arrive regularly, so a chaser that jumps economically can maintain its position without using unnecessary energy. A runner that spends too long in the air or repeatedly adjusts before take-off may find itself under pressure sooner than expected.
The Jukebox Man offered a useful recent example. Before winning the 2025 King George, he had already taken the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase over the same course and distance.
Course form is helpful. It is not compulsory.
The Betfair Chase at Haydock is the first leg of The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown and usually provides an early test for established three-mile chasers.
Haydock can become a severe stamina examination on soft ground. Kempton is generally sharper, so a horse may perform differently when faced with a faster surface and tighter track.
Look at more than the finishing order. How well did the horse jump? Did it travel comfortably? Was it still responding near the finish?
Punchestown’s John Durkan Memorial Chase has become another important early-season contest.
Its distance is shorter than the King George, but it regularly attracts high-class Irish chasers. A runner showing plenty of speed there may later step up to three miles at Kempton.
The extra distance remains a genuine test. Racing strongly over two and a half miles does not prove that the horse will finish with the same purpose on Boxing Day.
Cheltenham can reveal useful clues, particularly when established chasers make their seasonal returns.
Its undulating course is very different from Kempton. A horse that stays on strongly up the Cheltenham hill may still lack the tactical pace needed on Boxing Day. The reverse can also apply.
Recent racing analysis and meeting previews can be found through the horse racing blog.
Experience at Kempton deserves attention because the track has a distinctive rhythm.
The Kauto Star Novices’ Chase is run over the King George course and distance on the same card. Previous winners often return as older horses with stronger form and more chasing experience.
Not every promising novice develops into a King George contender. Those that do already have evidence that the course suits them.
Kempton rewards horses that clear their fences without losing momentum.
A chaser can jump safely but slowly. That may be manageable in a long-distance race on testing ground, yet it becomes a larger weakness when the field is moving quickly.
Watch how much ground a runner gains or loses at each obstacle. The final result does not tell the full story.
A horse stepping up from two and a half miles may possess enough stamina. It still needs to prove it.
Consider how the runner finishes its races and whether it settles during the early stages. Pulling hard can make the final half-mile much more difficult.
Past form over three miles is reassuring, particularly when it came in a strongly run Grade 1.
Kempton is right-handed.
Some horses clearly perform better going one way than the other. A tendency to jump left can cost ground and interfere with the horse’s rhythm around a right-handed track.
One awkward performance is not enough to establish a fixed preference. A repeated pattern carries more weight.
A small field can still produce a strong gallop when several horses prefer racing prominently.
If nobody wants the lead, the tempo may remain steady before increasing sharply. That can suit a runner with more speed than its rivals.
Wait until the final declarations before drawing a firm conclusion. Pace is difficult to assess while the field remains uncertain.
Kempton’s ground can change quickly during a wet or cold Christmas period.
Softer conditions increase the stamina demand. Better ground can place additional pressure on jumping and tactical speed.
Check the official going report during race week rather than relying on a forecast made several weeks earlier.
The range of available options should increase as Boxing Day approaches.
A win bet requires your selected horse to finish first.
The potential return is based on the accepted odds shown on the betslip, subject to the settlement rules.
Ante-post betting allows you to back a possible runner before the final field is known.
The attraction is securing an early price. The risk is that the horse may be withdrawn, redirected elsewhere or fail to reach the race.
Check for non-runner protection before placing the wager. Do not assume it is included simply because the race is several months away.
An each-way wager is split into two equal bets.
One half backs the horse to win. The other backs it to finish within the advertised place positions.
A £5 each-way selection costs £10 in total.
Place terms depend on the field and the offer displayed at the time. The race does not automatically pay three places every year. The each-way calculator can help estimate a possible return using the relevant odds and place fraction.
A straight forecast requires the first two horses in the correct order. A reverse forecast covers either finishing order.
Small Grade 1 fields may appear easier to assess, but one jumping error can completely alter the result.
Potential forecast returns can be checked with the forecast calculator.
The King George can be combined with selections from other Boxing Day races.
Every leg must win for a standard multiple to succeed. Adding further horses increases the possible return but also gives the bet more ways to lose.
The Jukebox Man won the 2025 King George VI Chase under Ben Jones for trainer Ben Pauling.
The finish was exceptionally tight. Four horses crossed the line separated by only half a length, with the result settled through a photo.
The Jukebox Man had entered the race after winning over the same course and distance as a novice. His Kempton experience did not guarantee victory, but it gave bettors solid evidence that he handled the track.
Any price attached to the 2025 result is now historical. It should not be treated as an indication of the odds for the 2026 race.
The five latest winners are:
That sequence includes British and Irish-trained winners, favourites and bigger-priced selections. There is no single recent trend strong enough to replace a proper assessment of the current field.
King George runners may later be considered for Aintree, although the National demands far more stamina. The latest Grand National odds cover that separate spring target.
The King George VI Chase was first run in February 1937 and named after the newly crowned monarch. Southern Hero won the inaugural edition and remains the oldest winner at 12.
After racing resumed following the Second World War, the contest moved to Boxing Day and grew into Kempton’s defining jumps race.
Kauto Star holds the record with five victories. He won four consecutive renewals from 2006 to 2009 before returning to regain the race in 2011.
Desert Orchid won four times, while Wayward Lad collected three victories during the 1980s.
Paul Nicholls is the most successful trainer with 13 wins. His latest came through Bravemansgame in 2022, following victories with See More Business, Kauto Star, Silviniaco Conti, Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon.
Records provide useful context, particularly when a stable has repeatedly prepared horses for Kempton. The individual runner’s current form still matters more than the trainer’s historical total.
Log in to Parimatch and open the horse racing section. Find the King George VI Chase market, choose your horse and select the available bet type.
Enter your stake and review the accepted odds and potential return. For an ante-post or each-way wager, check the non-runner and place conditions before confirming.
Any active racing promotions will appear with the latest betting offers. Offers may be added, amended or removed before Boxing Day, so rely on the terms displayed when placing the bet.
Set a budget before racing begins and keep stakes within an amount you can afford to lose. Deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion tools are available through Safer Gambling.
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