Jumps fans will be starting to get very excited about the new National Hunt season which will be quickly upon us.

Racing industry leaders from the BHA, horsemen and racecourses have agreed on the next phase of the response to the COVID crisis. A wide range of work has been continuing since racing was the first major sport to resume on 1st June. But the plan published today puts an added focus on retaining owners and key investors and attracting customers when the public starts to return to racecourses.

With what is proving to be quite a testing and tricky time for us all, we want to shake away the doom and gloom with some exciting racing trips and packages to look forward to come 2021 when things return back to normal…

Let’s start from the beginning

The King George VI Chase will cap off a tremendous year in horse racing when it takes place on Boxing Day at Kempton. The race headlines the 32Red Christmas Festival and will bring the 2019 season to a close. The King George VI Chase is one of Britain’s most famous horse racing events along with Cheltenham, the Grand National, and Royal Ascot. Horse race punters can bet on all of the top races in Britain using the latest Royal Ascot sign up offer and wager on the horses will win.

Thirty-four horses are currently listed as entrants with some of the biggest names in Jumps racing set to participate. Former winners Thistlecrack, Mite Bite, and Clas des Obeaux could all add to their win totals at Kempton at the King George VI Chase. Other notable names competing in the event including Native River, Monalee, and Altior. With so many major names competing for silverware and the £142,000 winner’s prize, there is bound to be a big finish on raceday.

The Favourites

Lostintranslation heads into Kempton as the sportsbooks’ favourite at odds of 5/2. The horse has been praised for his stamina and talent and is more than capable of coming away from the three-mile race as the winner on Boxing Day. Recent successes have not only made Lostintranslation a favourite to win the King George VI Chase, but the Cheltenham Gold Cup as well. The Colin Tizzard trained horse has won three straight races with his most recent coming at Haydock in late November.

Cyrname is level at odds of 5/2 along with Lostintranslation. Paul Nicholls’ horse could bring the elite trainer an 11th win at the King George VI Chase. Nicholls already holds the record in wins and one more would break his own feat.

Cyrname is in fine form heading to Kempton. In November, Cyrname defeated Altior to win the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot. The showdown was much anticipated by racing fans and the King George VI Chase will see the two horses battle in a rematch

Can Altior avenge his loss to Cyrname?

Altior goes into the Boxing Day event at 6/1 odds, which are the fourth best to win the King George VI Chase, according to leading sportsbooks. Trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Nico de Boinville will aim to get Altior back on track after his 14-race win streak was snapped by Cyrname. Altior’s loss in November was the first since April 2015.

Although some will create the narrative that the race is between Cyrname and Altior, there are some former winners of the King George VI Chase that will be competing and eager to return to the winner’s circle.

Clans des Obeaux won the event in 2018 and is at 5/1 odds pre-race. Mite Bite took home the prize winner’s purse in 2017 but with only one race run in 2019, is at odds of 25/1, according to top bookmakers. The 2016 winner, Thistlecrack, is 33/1 to win at Kempton. His 2016 win was the last victory recorded and since then, Thistlecrack has failed to win in six starts.

With so many major names in horse racing battling it out at Kempton, horse racing fans are in for a real post-Christmas treat.

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