The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year on 26 December, and features as part of the course's Christmas Festival.
The event was first run in February 1937, and it was named in honour of the new British monarch, King George VI. It was only run twice before World War II, during which Kempton Park was closed for racing and used as a prisoner-of-war camp. The two pre-war runnings were each contested by four horses. The winner of the first, Southern Hero, remains the race's oldest ever winner. After the war the racecourse re-opened, and the event returned in 1947 on a new date – Boxing Day.
Fifteen horses have won the King George VI Chase more than once; Desert Orchid won it four times and Kauto Star won it five times. The race is currently sponsored by the Ladbrokes Coral bookmaking firm.
Records Most successful horse (5 wins): Kauto Star – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
Leading jockey (5 wins): Ruby Walsh – Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Leading trainer (13 wins): Paul Nicholls – See More Business (1997, 1999), Kauto Star (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011), Silviniaco Conti (2013, 2014), Clan Des Obeaux (2018, 2019), Frodon (2020), Bravemansgame (2022)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer 1937 Southern Hero 12 Jack Fawcus Gwyn Evans 1938 Airgead Sios 8 Tommy McNeill Charles Tabor 1939 no race 1939–46 1947 Rowland Roy 8 Bryan Marshall Fulke Walwyn 1948 Cottage Rake 9 Aubrey Brabazon Vincent O'Brien 1949 Finnure 8 Dick Francis George Beeby 1950 Manicou 5 Bryan Marshall Peter Cazalet 1951 Statecraft 6 Tony Grantham Peter Cazalet 1952 Halloween 7 Fred Winter Bill Wightman 1953 Galloway Braes 8 Bert Morrow Alec Kilpatrick 1954 Halloween 9 Fred Winter Bill Wightman 1955 Limber Hill 8 Jimmy Power Bill Dutton 1956 Rose Park 10 Michael Scudamore Peter Cazalet 1957 Mandarin 6 Gerry Madden Fulke Walwyn 1958 Lochroe 10 Arthur Freeman Peter Cazalet 1959 Mandarin 8 Gerry Madden Fulke Walwyn 1960 Saffron Tartan 9 Fred Winter Don Butchers 1961 no race 1961–62 1963 Mill House 6 Willie Robinson Fulke Walwyn 1964 Frenchman's Cove 9 Stan Mellor Harry Thomson Jones 1965 Arkle 8 Pat Taaffe Tom Dreaper 1966 Dormant 9 Jeff King John Wells-Kendrew 1967 no race 1967–68 1969 Titus Oates 7 Stan Mellor Gordon W. Richards 1970 no race 1970 1971 The Dikler 8 Barry Brogan Fulke Walwyn 1972 Pendil 7 Richard Pitman Fred Winter 1973 Pendil 8 Richard Pitman Fred Winter 1974 Captain Christy 7 Bobby Coonan Pat Taaffe 1975 Captain Christy 8 Gerry Newman Pat Taaffe 1976 Royal Marshall II 9 Graham Thorner Tim Forster 1977 Bachelor's Hall 7 Martin O'Halloran Peter Cundell 1978 Gay Spartan 7 Tommy Carmody Tony Dickinson 1979 Silver Buck 7 Tommy Carmody Tony Dickinson 1980 Silver Buck 8 Tommy Carmody Michael Dickinson 1981 no race 1981 1982 Wayward Lad 7 John Francome Michael Dickinson 1983 Wayward Lad 8 Robert Earnshaw Michael Dickinson 1984 Burrough Hill Lad 8 John Francome Jenny Pitman 1985 Wayward Lad 10 Graham Bradley Monica Dickinson 1986 Desert Orchid 7 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth 1987 Nupsala 8 André Pommier François Doumen 1988 Desert Orchid 9 Simon Sherwood David Elsworth 1989 Desert Orchid 10 Richard Dunwoody David Elsworth 1990 Desert Orchid 11 Richard Dunwoody David Elsworth 1991 The Fellow 6 Adam Kondrat François Doumen 1992 The Fellow 7 Adam Kondrat François Doumen 1993 Barton Bank 7 Adrian Maguire David Nicholson 1994 Algan 6 Philippe Chevalier François Doumen 1995 One Man 8 Richard Dunwoody Gordon W. Richards 1996 One Man 8 Richard Dunwoody Gordon W. Richards 1997 See More Business 7 Andrew Thornton Paul Nicholls 1998 Teeton Mill 9 Norman Williamson Venetia Williams 1999 See More Business 9 Mick Fitzgerald Paul Nicholls 2000 First Gold 7 Thierry Doumen François Doumen 2001 Florida Pearl 9 Adrian Maguire Willie Mullins 2002 Best Mate 7 Tony McCoy Henrietta Knight 2003 Edredon Bleu 11 Jim Culloty Henrietta Knight 2004 Kicking King 6 Barry Geraghty Tom Taaffe 2005 Kicking King 7 Barry Geraghty Tom Taaffe 2006 Kauto Star 6 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2007 Kauto Star 7 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2008 Kauto Star 8 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2009 Kauto Star 9 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2010 Long Run 6 Sam Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson 2011 Kauto Star 11 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2012 Long Run 7 Sam Waley-Cohen Nicky Henderson 2013 Silviniaco Conti 7 Noel Fehily Paul Nicholls 2014 Silviniaco Conti 8 Noel Fehily Paul Nicholls 2015 Cue Card 9 Paddy Brennan Colin Tizzard 2016 Thistlecrack 8 Tom Scudamore Colin Tizzard 2017 Might Bite 8 Nico de Boinville Nicky Henderson 2018 Clan des Obeaux 6 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2019 Clan des Obeaux 7 Sam Twiston-Davies Paul Nicholls 2020 Frodon 8 Bryony Frost Paul Nicholls 2021 Tornado Flyer 8 Danny Mullins Willie Mullins 2022Bravemansgame 7 Harry Cobden Paul Nicholls 2023 Hewick 8 Gavin Sheehan John Joseph Hanlon 2024 Banbridge 8 Paul Townend Joseph O'Brien 2025 The Jukebox Man 7 Ben Jones Ben Pauling
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races
References
Glasgow Herald , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
kinggeorgechase.com – King George Chase Winners. pedigreequery.com – King George VI Chase – Kempton Park.
External links Race Recordings (1965, 1972-2003) youtube.com