Key Contenders For 2018 King George VI Chase

The King George VI Chase is the highlight of the festive programme over Christmas in the UK and this year’s race is set to be another fantastic renewal with a strong field expected to line up at Kempton in the 3m contest. Here is a look at the leading contenders for the Grade One chase.

Might Bite

Last year’s winner Might Bite is expected to return to Kempton in December to try to defend his crown and become the first horse to prevail in the race in back-to-back years since Silviniaco Conti in 2014. Nicky Henderson’s runner had a fantastic campaign last season as he also won the Aintree Bowl and finished second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The nine-year-old is expected to target all the leading 3m+ chases in this division this season and connections will have the Gold Cup in mind as the priority where they will be hoping he can go one better than he did in March. Might Bite has proven that Kempton is a course he enjoys, therefore, it is no surprise that he tops the early betting for the 2018 King George.

Waiting Patiently

Waiting Patiently is set to return to the racecourse after 10 months off the track when he lines up at Kempton. Ruth Jefferson’s horse was last seen when he won the Ascot Chase, beating Cue Card, Top Notch and Coney Island in a strong field for the Grade One contest. The son of Flemensfirth has won his last seven races, therefore, he has been in great form. Unfortunately for connections, he has had a number of injuries which have prevented him from running in the big meetings, including the 2018 Cheltenham Festival. Despite his long absence, Waiting Patiently is prominent at 6/1 in the horse racing betting for the King George where, if successful, he would scoop the biggest prize of his career so far.

Native River

Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River will be looking to join a small club of horses who have won the feature race of the Cheltenham Festival and King George in the same year. The eight-year-old already has an impressive CV with victories also coming in the Hennessy Gold Cup and Welsh Grand National. Native River missed the King George last year through injury and did not make his seasonal reappearance until February where he made a winning return in the Denman Chase. A month later, Colin Tizzard’s Chaser outstayed all of his rivals in the Gold Cup. Given how the pair locked horns throughout at Cheltenham, many people will be looking forward to seeing Native River take on Might Bite once again in what could prove to be a fascinating rivalry for many years to come in the sport. Native River can be backed at 6/1 in the King George betting and he is sure to have his supporters at that price as he is officially rated as one of the best chasers in training in the UK and Ireland.

Enjoy the action on Boxing Day and good luck if you are having a bet in the King George.

Tony McCoy

Sir Anthony Peter McCoy OBE, is a retired horse racing jockey hailing from Northern Ireland and is widely regarded as one of the most successful ever in the steeplechasing world. In his career, the jockey known simply as ‘AP’ to many has won everything there is to win, including the Grand National , most recently on Don’t Push it in 2010. With a total of 4,358 winners to his name and he boasts the incredible achievement of winning Champion jockey title 20 years in a row, something that may never again be matched by anyone in the sport.

Out of the Ordinary

Other than his freakish talent for winning, Tony McCoy is different to many other jockeys in that he stands at 5ft 10 inches tall, which is tall for a jockey. Once in the saddle though, there truly is no one like him, as he has a virtually unblemished record as a jockey, even winning the title of Conditional Jump Jockey Champion in his first ever season, winning 74 races.

The fact that AP McCoy won the Champion Jockey title every year he competed in it says everything you need to know about the man and his victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, King George VI chase and the Champion Hurdle set him apart from the rest and when you see who he’s up against, you realise just how special that makes him. In his last race, he came third on Box Office at Sandown and despite not bowing out with a win, those attending knew they had witnessed the end of an era.

Tony McCoy retired in 2015 and went on to become Sir AP McCoy a year later. Never has the term champion been more apt and his feats may never be equalled again.