Kempton betting tips
Kempton betting preview
Boxing Day, horse racing and cold turkey sandwiches, what more can you ask for? The King George VI Chase at Kempton will come and go as quickly as Santa, and for lucky punters, it might bring even greater gifts to get excited about.
The Grade 1 Chase will take place over three miles and is the type of show to bring the family together during the festivities. Those running at Kempton Park will have 18 hurdles to navigate on a run that was won by Hewick last year.
However, the returning champion is currently a 14/1 outsider on horse racing betting sites and will need to put up a huge performance to please bettors who expect a repeat result.
King George VI Chase betting preview: L’Homme is the man
Heavy favourite Spillane’s Tower is yet to be confirmed as running at the time of writing, a seed of doubt that might play into the hands of punters. This is an extremely competitive field and any potential hesitation is an opening for others, including the impressive L’Homme Press.
It feels like Venetia Williams can’t do any wrong at the moment. The prolific trainer has an incredible 21 per cent winning ratio in 2024-25, a joint career best with some fantastic returns, including Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase and Gemirande at Cheltenham’s December Gold Cup. The former is a good mid-range shot for this race, but it might be the time for L’Homme Press to step up.
Williams has saved him for this moment after missing the race last year and coming so close in 2022, where he led into the final straight before the drama of unseating jockey Charlie Deutsch. There’s history here and a score to settle, an inviting prospect for those seeking an outright winner on betting sites.
King George VI Chase prediction 1: L’Homme Press to win - 11/1 William Hill
General En Chef cooking up a treat?
Christmas is a time for outside shouts.
There’s plenty of horses to get behind in this race, but General En Chef is an intriguing each way chance at 100/1. The French horse’s brilliant fourth in the Coral Gold Cup is the kind of performance to put him on the radar.
General En Chef made a couple of mistakes in that run and gave up third in the closing stages. He stayed the course better in May’s Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, grabbing third in a great showcase of his potential.
Although perhaps too soon to be marked as a potential winner, this is a star in the making. Most bookies are paying each way bets to three places, making General En Chef an exciting runner for those who fancy a risk.
King George VI Chase prediction 2: General En Chef each way - 100/1 bet365
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