It’s almost that time of the year again for King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, with the mid-winter showpiece set to be another classic.
The Chase is the second most prestigious race in England, bettered only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup and 2018’s entries will be desperate for success.
Here we take a look back at seven memorable winners from yesteryear:
Desert Orchid – 1990
‘Dessie’ tasted success at King George no more than four times during his illustrious career. The popular grey was imperious in his heyday, and perhaps his pinnacle was his victory at Kempton in 1990.
Deemed past it due to his age, Dessie cruised to an impressive win after holding off the challenge of Toby Tobias, The Fellow and Celtic Shot. It was Dessie’s fourth and final victory at Kempton before he retired in December 1991.
Wayward Lad – 1985
Wayward Lad completed a hat-trick of King George wins in 1985, seeing off the challenge of Combs Ditch in an enthralling race. Similar to Desert Orchid, Wayward Lad was at the end of his brilliant career when he completed his record third win.
His 12/1 price suggested the bookies didn’t consider him a favorite, but Wayward Lad demonstrated why he’ll be considered one of the best of all time after securing a historic victory in scintillating fashion.
Kicking King – 2004
Kicking King almost fluffed his lines in 2004 after stumbling at the last, but jockey Barry Geraghty held on to clinch a famous victory.
The pair were well ahead before the mistake at the last fence almost allowed Azertyuiop in, but he faded in the closing stages which meant Kingscliff took second place, finishing two-and-a-half lengths behind Kicking King.
Arkle – 1965
Arguably one of the greatest jump racehorses of all time, Arkle stormed to victory in the 1965 Chase to cap off a truly remarkable season.
Trainer Tom Dreaper enjoyed paramount success with Arkle throughout the 1960s, winning 25 out of 29 races between October 1962 and December 1966. The Irish thoroughbred really was a class apart from his rivals, with many handicapping procedures introduced to accommodate his dominance.
Florida Pearl – 2001
Florida Pearl enjoyed his best ever year in 2001, claiming three major victories (Hennessy Gold Cup, John Durkan Memorial Chase and King George VI Chase).
Priced at 8/1, Florida Pearl took the initiative three fences from the line and held off the challenge from Best Mate to win by three-quarters of a length.
Thistlecrack – 2016
After a relatively late entrance into horse racing, Thistlecrack set tongues wagging after cruising to victory at Kempton in 2016. The British thoroughbred was the first ever novice to win King George Chase, seeing off Cue Card and Silviniaco Conti.
2016 turned out to be a brilliant year for Thistlecrack, securing wins at the Cleeve Hurdle, World Hurdle, Liverpool Hurdle, and the Worcester Novices Chase.
Kauto Star – 2011
The undisputed champion of Kempton Park, Kauto Star has recorded more victories than any other horse at King George VI Chase. His record fifth victory in 2011 was perhaps the defining moment of his career, after being written off due to his age.
The 11-year-old saw off the challenge of Long Run to cement his place in the history books, bettering Desert Orchids four victories that was set 21 years previous. Kauto also won four consecutive races at Kempton from 2006-2009, something of which Might Bite can try and emulate with back-to-back victories in this year’s meeting. Check the latest odds here: https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/horse-racing.
