The King George VI Chase is one of the races that all racing fans look forward to over the festive period, as it is the second most prestigious race of the jumps season.
The only race that is considered more prestigious is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which ensures that all eyes are on the race on Boxing Day.
The race is run over three miles, and there are 18 fences that horses must navigate if they are to win the illustrious prize pot, which stood at £250,000 last season.
However, will all the pressure be on Cyrname to deliver a huge success for the Paul Nicholls team?
Cyrname Likely To Head The Betting
Cyrname’s price for the King George has crashed over recent weeks, as the eight-year-old was very impressive after reappearing for the first time this season at Wetherby.
Harry Cobden rode the impressive horse to victory on that occasion in the Charlie Hall Chase, which banished all memories of his fall at Ascot from back in February.
That fall in the Betfair Ascot Chase meant that the eight-year-old was forced to sidestep the Cheltenham Festival, despite being one of the most tipped horses for the huge meeting.
There were no signs that the fall had any longstanding repercussions on its most recent showing, and Nicholls could now be targeting the King George en route to the Festival in March.
This will be Cyrname’s second attempt to win this prestigious race. He was set off as the heavy favourite last year but needed to settle for second place behind Clas Des Obeaux.
Some punters will be concerned at how much Cyrnameweakened after jumping the final fence on the three-mile course, but he will once again be a horse that will rightly be considered to improve this time around.
Clan Des Obeaux Looking For History
Clan Des Obeaux will be looking to join a select number of horses that have won the race on numerous occasions. Throughout the 83-year history of the race, only 14 horses have won the King George on more than one occasion.
The Paul Nicholls-trained horse has already won the last two instalments of the King George and will be looking to join Kauto Star and Desert Orchid, who has won the race on three occasions.
The Sir Alex Ferguson-owned horse will be a popular selection for the race, as he is a proven stayer over this distance.
All attention will swiftly turn to the Gold Cup after this race, but the King George has been where the eight-year-old has produced his best performances over recent seasons.
It’s likely that his eighth-place finish in the Gold Cup will have no long-term negatives, as he reappeared with a second-place finish in the Betfair Chase.
He also finished second on his first run last season before going on to win the King George, which certainly ensures that he is a main player for this year’s race.
Other Likely Contenders
The King George attracts some of the biggest names in racing, which means that there will be a wealth of options for gamblers on the day.
Kemboy and Champ are both Grade 1 winners and will be prominent in the market, but Lostintranslation could be the one that goes under the radar.
The eight-year-old trained by Colin Tizzard finished third on his first start this season and was impressive in finishing third in the Gold Cup last March.
He will be hoping for a better run in this year’s race after being pulled up in last year’s race.
Lostintranslation has been much better since wind surgery and has finished third in both previous starts over this trip.
There you have it, the favourites in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase. If you fancy horse racing, you might be also interested in the odds of the most prestigious event of the horse racing calendar, the Kentucky Derby.
Click here to see the current odds: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/odds
