2020 King George VI Chase Guide

Dual King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux tops the entries for the Boxing Day feature race with Paul Nicholls looking for his 12th victory in the Grade One at Kempton.

Last season he started his term off over in Northern Ireland in November with Nicholls sending him into the Grade One Champion Chase at Down Royal and he finished a smart second behind Road To Respect and it worked out to be the perfect prep run ahead of the King George VI.

He went on to become a dual King George winner on Boxing Day and will look to add a third on the 26th having had a superb prep run at Haydock.

Having not gone down the same route as last year with heading over to Down Royal, Nicholls took Clan Des Obeaux to the Mersyside track for the Grade One Betfair Chase.

Having ran a stormer the whole way round, the heavy ground in the final stages told and saw him finish a close second to triple winner of the race Bristol De Mai.

Fitness wise that race would have put him spot on for his third tilt at the King George and showing how well he handles the track could be the difference between him and stablemate Cyrname.

The eight year old started last season perfectly by ending the mighty Altior's 19 race unbeaten run in the Grade Two 1965 Christy Chase which saw the Paul Nicholls' star raised to a new rating of 178 after his performance in a first-time Grade One field, which has only been bettered by seven horses since the turn of the century.

After that he was a disappointing second in the King George when not staying the trip and having fell when the strong favourite to land back to back renewals of the Ascot Chase, with Nicholls lucky to see him back for another season.

The Son of Nickname although falling would not have won the contest having dropped back through the small field near the finish and overall did not show the true Cyrname at his home track.

After the heavy fall, many punters were wondering how he would return this term, but on his seasonal bow he put all those questions to bed when winning the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase in fine style.

His jockey Harry Cobden believes that he is a much more mature horse this year and is hoping that he will not make the same mistake twice by picking the wrong horse from the stable.

The eight year old last season started his term off at Carlisle when landing the Intermediate Chase in fine style which set him up perfectly for a tilt at the Betfair Chase against two time winner Bristol De Mai.

Having the run under his belt made the difference as he went on to stay on better than the Nigel Twiston-Davies horse up the straight and it saw him land his first black type event out of novice company.

This season, without the run before the race and the heavy conditions it saw Bristol De Mai reverse the form and overall Tizzard's horse gave a very below par performance.

In 2019 Lostintranslation headed to Kempton on Boxing Day for the King George VI Chase and nothing went right for him throughout the race with his jumping ultimately letting him down and he was pulled up before the finish.

Although not having the greatest prep into the race this term he will certainly come on for the run, but the yards form this term would be a worry.

The Nicky Henderson trained Santini was supplemented late for the King George with the Seven Barrows handler believing his chasing star is in fine form at home.

Last season the eight year old made a winning start on his seasonal debut at Kempton but did leave room for improvement, he was much better next time out after undergoing a wind op which saw him race on trials day in the Cotswolds Chase and he put in a mighty performance to beat Bristol De Mai over what was nearly the Gold Cup trip.

He then headed to the festival for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and although rallying in the final stages, had to settle for a narrow second behind dual winner Al Boum Photo.

The staying star for the yard made a satisfactory return to racing this season when having a good racecourse gallop at Newbury and then headed to Aintree for the Many Clouds Chase and finished a narrow second to Lake View Lad.

Although not winning the race he showed his staying ability in tricky conditions and with many fences being bypassed due to the low sun on the day it did not play to his strengths.

The plan after that race was to get him ready at home for the Cotswald Chase which he landed last term at Cheltenham, but connections and trainer have now decided that they will run him in the Kempton feature and after forking out £5,000 to run him they must fancy their chances.

Frodon has been a superstar for the 11 time champion trainer Paul Nicholls winning some huge races including the Old Roan Chase at Aintree and the Ryanair Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham festival.

Stepped up to 3m1f in October the gelding landed the competitive Handicap Chase off top weight at Prestbury Park.

He produced a superb round off jumping giving weight away to the whole field, but last time out stepped back up in Class for the Grade two Many Clouds Chase and was well below par.

There were plenty of fences removed that day which did not suit him and now dropping back to three miles will help his cause.

Real Steel is the fourth and final runner in the race for Paul Nicholls and looks to need big improvement on his debut for the yard if he is to get involved.

Having moved over from Willie Mullins this season the seven year old has landed some nice contests when he was in Ireland including seeing off Footpad in January at Thurles in a Grade Two.

Nicholls has stepped him in up in trip for this event having been third on debut in the 1965 Christy Chase, being outclassed by Imperial Aura.

One of his best rans in recent times was his sixth in the 2020 Gold Cup at Cheltenham and getting nearer to that form will be needed to get involved.

The nine year old owned by Richard Collins on his last outing had been off the track for 246 days before showing some of his best form for a while, needing just an extra furlong to have won the race in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, just not getting to the line in time and finishing in behind Defi Du Seuil and Un De Sceaux.

The taking performance showed his staying ability and it has gave the stable star options in either Grade One options over two miles or potentially further, but with his fragile nature the female handler has now decided to send him down the staying chase division.

Waiting Patiently’s has only once in his career ran over three miles and it came in the King George in 2018, where he unfortunately unseated his rider after being hampered by the fall of Bristol De Mai half way through the event.

With the yard and connections still not knowing whether he will get the trip, they want to try one more time before they think of going down a different route with the chaser and he is reported to be in superb form ahead of his return.

Saint Calvados is a very nice horse for Harry Whittington and owners Kate and Andrew Books but does not look good enough to mix it with some of these staying chasers.

The seven year old was a smart hurdler in France and then was bought over to England and continued his good form when sent chasing, landing his first three events as a novice with the highlight being the Grade Two Kingmaker Chase at Warwick.

Since then he has got slightly lost in his career having been outclassed in better company when running poorly in the Arkle, Champion Chase and Shloer Chase over the years.

However, last term he was upped in trip from two miles and it bought improvement out of the gelding finishing a bold second in a Grade Three Handicap Chase at Cheltenham in January and then heading to the 2020 Cheltenham festival and a narrow second to Min in the Grade One Ryanair Chase, which was a career best run.

Although that was a smart run, stepping up in trip for this on seasonal debut looks a huge ask and on that basis is opposable.

The big outsider of the race is the Tom George Black Op, who was a smart hurdler back in the day winning a Grade One and finishing second to Samcro in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival, but has not looked the same horse over fences.

Having finished second to Champ twice last season, he then was off the track for some time and returned after 11 months off over 2m4f at Carlisle to finish fourth of six runner in the Listed event.

This set him up for the Grade Three Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury and he could only finish ninth of the 18 runners never getting involved.

At 66/1 he has it all to do in this event.