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King George VI Chase tips: Boxing Day racing predictions & Kempton best bets
Find the latest odds and tips ahead of Boxing Day racing at Kempton, featuring the the Christmas Hurdle and King George VI Chase
Boxing Day racing tips
There are no fewer than eight race meetings in the UK on Boxing Day, but there’s little doubt that the pick of the bunch is the opening day of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festive at Kempton Park.
The festival features two days of high-quality racing, with the Boxing Day card including three Grade 1 contests in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, the Christmas Hurdle and the headline race of the meeting, the world-famous King George VI Chase.
The highlight of the Christmas racing calendar was first held in 1937 and is now staged over three miles, including 18 fences, with notable previous winners including Kauto Star, Frodon, Best Mate and Desert Orchid.
In 2025, both last year’s winner and runner-up are part of the eight-horse field, with Banbridge having ran down Il Est Francais to claim the crown in 2024.
However, neither horse is among the favourites this time round, with betting sites pricing Banbridge at 14/1 to defend his crown.
Instead, we have two joint-favourites in the market, with Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie priced at 5/2 alongside Willie Mullins’ Gaelic Warrior, while his stablemate Fact To File hopes to end a near 50-year wait for JP McManus in this contest.
King George VI Chase tip: Gaelic Warrior to triumph in headline event
Nine runners have been declared for the King George and it's a high-quality field with Jango Baie among the leading contenders following his victory in the 1965 Chase at Ascot in November.
Nicky Henderson’s Arkle winner is the youngest horse in the field and remains unproven at this distance, but has a similar profile to former King George winners Might Bite and Long Run and is well-respected.
Willie Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior is the other horse at around 5/2 on horse racing betting sites, with the gelding having beaten stablemate Fact To File in the John Durkan at Punchestown last month.
Fact To File reopposes here and is a Grade 1 winner over three miles, so can’t be overlooked, while the Harry Redknapp-owned The Jukebox Man will have his supporters on betting apps as a C&D winner at Kempton.
However, it’s Gaelic Warrior who gets the nod having proven effective over a variety of distances and ground conditions of late, having won the bet365 Oaksey Chase in better conditions as well as the Aintree Bowl Chase over 3m1f in April.
The 2024 Arkle winner has proven a sound jumper so far, and in the expert hands of Paul Townend, he should prove hard to beat on Boxing Day.
King George VI prediction: Gaelic Warrior to win the King George VI Chase - 5/2 Bet365
Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle tip: Sir Gino to continue perfect form
The Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle is the second of three Grade 1 races run at Kempton Park on Friday, with this particular contest having been dominated by Constitution Hill for the last three years.
However, Nicky Henderson’s gelding is a notable absentee this year, opening up the field for Sir Gino, an unbeaten five-year-old who already has two wins to his name at Kempton to go with a Fighting Fifth Hurdle success in 2024.
Another Henderson-trained horse, Sir Gino won at Kempton in the Novices' Chase in 2024 and the Juvenile Hurdle the year before that, but has been out of action since this time last year after suffering a life-threatening infection.
However, bettors seem to think the horse will return to form right away, with official ratings and an unbeaten record providing plenty of promise.
Those looking for more value on horse racing betting apps could find Golden Ace viable at 4/1, with the seven-year-old having won the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle late last month to add to a Champion Hurdle win at Cheltenham.
If Sir Gino cannot rediscover his old form, then this is likely to be the horse that capitalises.
Boxing Day racing prediction: Sir Gino to win Christmas Hurdle - 8/13 Ladbrokes
Free bets for the King George VI Chase
Tote is running a money-back promotion on the Christmas feature races, refunding bettors their stake as free bets if their horse finishes second, third or fourth.
The King George VI Chase at Kempton is one of the feature races covered by Tote, with win and each-way bets eligible.
Bettors must opt in and bet on the King George. If your selection finishes second, third or fourth, you’ll receive your stake back as Tote Credit, up to £20.
The offer applies to your first win or win part of an each-way bet only and any free bets are credited within 24 hours.
Tote Credit must be used on UK racing pool bets and expires after seven days.
Responsible gambling
It’s vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you’re using online bookmakers, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.
Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.
It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.
You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.
You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
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