Thistlecrack to face Cue Card on Boxing Day

Having embarked on a chasing career following his World Hurdle win at the Cheltenham Festival back in March, Thistlecrack has now been handed the opportunity to add to his ever-growing reputation by taking on stablemate Cue Card in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. Having won his first three outings for Colin Tizzard, the trainer faced a dilemma as to whether to pit the duo against one another, with Cue Card entering the famous race as the defending champion. Cue Card is hunting his second win of the £1 million steeplechasing Triple Crown, having already claimed victory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.

With Thistlecrack having already won races at Chepstow, Newbury and Cheltenham in October and November, the duo look set to be among the frontrunners for both the King George VI Chase as well as the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2017. With Thistlecrack set to be ridden by Tom Scudamore and Cue Card by Paddy Brennan, there is little to separate the two famous horses among the bookies. With such little to choose between the two, it may be better to try and horse racing game at LadyLucks Casino, with mobile slots becoming more and more popular among punters.

Meanwhile, 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree will miss the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, with trainer Mark Bradstock choosing to withdraw the nine-year-old having underperformed in a recent gallop. Coneygree only returned to action after a year away from the track to finish second to Cue Card at Haydock, although his most recent setback has only served to increase his odds for the Gold Cup next year.

For those of you who are lucky enough to pick a winner in the famous Kind George VI at the end of this year, it may well be worth trying your luck on some of the best mobile slots at Lady Luck, with their casino offering the perfect opportunity to kick the new year off with a bang. Champion trainer Willie Mullins will be hoping to pull off a surprise win on Boxing Day, with Vroum Vroum Mag undoubtedly his best hope at Kempton. With Faugheen also having been ruled out, the likes of Yanworth, The New One and My Tent Or Yours have all been entered for the race, with the King George VI Chase having originally attracted just five entries.

Does the King George Give Any Pointers to the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

The King George VI chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day is the racing highlight of the Christmas National Hunt calendar. Racegoers will flock in their thousands to the south-west London track to revel in the Christmas spirit – and hope to back a few winners along the way!

There has been many fine champions of this prestigious race - most notably - Kauto Star, who racked up an incredible five King George victories in his stellar career. Silviniaco Conti is the current King George market leader but how significant is this festive showpiece race in regard to the blue riband Cheltenham Gold Cup? Here we will look into the recent results of the Boxing Day spectacle, and see how those outcomes reflect towards the March festival.

Favourites’ race

In recent seasons, the King George has been a safe haven for favourite backers as eight of the last twelve renewals of the great race have been won by the jolly. Edredon Bleu sprang a 25/1 shock back in 2003, but this race is likely - according to statistics - to be won by a horse that is at the head of the market. It must be said that three of the last four renewals have been won by a non-favourite to redress the balance – but those three recent winners have all returned at odds of no bigger than 9/2.

Age no barrier

Most age trends to a specific race tend to congregate around a certain bracket, but that cannot be said for the King George. Three six-year old winners, Kicking King (2004), Kauto Star (2006) and Long Run (2010) have all proven that youth can conquer experience in the race. It could be argued that Long Run was effectively a five-year old as the 2010 renewal was actually run in January 2011 due to bad weather over the festive period.

The three mentioned above also won the race as seven-year olds, together with Best Mate (2002) and Silviniaco Conti from last season. Kauto Star (2008-2009) is the only eight, and nine-year old winner in the last twelve runnings, while Edredon Bleu and Kauto Star yet again in 2011, proved that age was no barrier by entering the winners’ enclosure at aged 11.

Experience is key

Other notable statistics are that nine French bred horses have passed the post in first place in the last 12 years, while the other three winners are Irish bred. Every winner of the King George during that twelve year period has also won a Grade One chase previously, which can be classed as a negative sign for the inexperienced Champagne Fever.

Tough task

So, how does all this information work towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup? From 1990 onwards, there have been just four horses who won the King George, and then went on and claimed the Gold Cup in March. Best Mate (2003), Kicking King (2005), Kauto Star (2007, 2009) and most latterly Long Run in 2011, all completed the seasonal double. That quintet are arguably the four finest staying chasers in recent history, which proves the thought of winning both titles in the same season is a very tough task that only the finest equine talent have achieved.

Conclusion

If you are looking for the winner of the King George, then the sensible option is to look towards an experienced horse, who has already won at Grade One level – and is relatively short in the betting. Form tends to hold up year on year in the race, so Silviniaco Conti must have excellent claims to return to the winners’ enclosure once again. However, if the Paul Nicholls trained gelding was to triumph at Kempton this Christmas, is he capable of winning the Gold Cup as well? I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Silviniaco moves a step closer to Gold Cup glory

The Paul Nicholls-trained Silviniaco Conti put up an impressive performance to get the better of last month’s Betfair Chase winner Cue Card in a tremendous renewal of the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day and now looks a genuine contender for top honours in March in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Third on his seasonal return at Haydock behind the Colin Tizzard-trained Cue Card, the French bred seven-year-old had clearly come on a good deal for his first run of the term and he was the only horse able to stay with Cue Card as last term’s Ryanair Chase hero set a searching gallop in testing ground at the Sunbury track.

By the final turn, only Silviniaco Conti remained as a danger to Cue Card, former champion Long Run having failed to respond to first-time blinkers while Dynaste failed to make the grade.

Al Ferof plugged on to take third, but up front it was Silviniaco Conti under a fine ride from Noel Fehily who leaped into the lead at the penultimate fence and eventually came away to score by three-and-a-half-lengths as the gallant Cue Card finally ran out of gas.

Punters reacted quickly to the impressive victory with Silviniaco Conti being slashed to a top price of 4.9 favourite on Betfair having traded at double figures prior to his Kempton victory. Bobs Worth, the defending champion is now a 5.9 shot in the latest odds, while Ireland’s Sir Des Champs, runner-up to Bobs Worth in the blue riband contest last season, now offered at 7.4.

Cue Card (9.8) is expected by many to head for a repeat bid for the Ryanair Chase over a shorter trip and is a clear 4.7 ante-post favourite on Betfair to land the two-mile-five –furlong event once again.