OBEAUX BIDS TO JOIN GREATS LIKE DESSIE

Andy Newton highlights the trends for great Kempton chase

- Andy Newton

Unless you own a face mask or hand sanitizer company, I think you will all agree it will be good to see the back of 2020!

Yes, it’s certainly been a year to remember (and forget), but let’s not all be doom and gloom as we’ve still got Christmas to look forward to – in some shape or form – and with that one of the Festive highlights for racing fans is, of course, the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

The King George is certainly one of the jumping highlights on the racing calendar and a contest where seasoned racegoers and the more recreational punters come together to try and get their Christmas expenses paid for by the bookies.

The Grade One Chase is probably second only to the Grand National when it comes to the ‘once-a-year’ punters crawling out of the woodwork to have a bet, and in recent years it’s certainly been a contest the bookies have hated with eleven of the last 18 favourites winning!

It could be more of the same again this year too, with the winner for the last two years – Clan des Obeaux – sure to be popular in the betting as he looks to become the first horse since Kauto Star to win the King George VI Chase three times on the spin. If he can win again he’ll join greats like Wayward Lad and Desert Orchid, who landed this Christmas chase more than twice.

The current champ hails from the powerful Paul Nicholls yard, that will be hunting their twelfth win in the race, and with the classy Cyrname a possible runner for the stable too, then it could be another big day for the Ditcheat-based handler.