Desert Orchid Chase Tips & Odds

The history of the Desert Orchid Chase

First run in 2006, the race was of course created in honour of "Dessie" who remains one of the best and most popular horses of the 20th century. The famous grey won the King George at Kempton four times during his career and this race takes place the day after the feature race of the season at the London venue.

The Grade Two race has attracted some top class winners in recent years including Voy Por Ustedes, Finian's Rainbow, Sire De Grugy, Sprinter Sacre and Altior who are all winners of the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Desert Orchid Chase falls perfectly on the calendar for horses looking to peak in the spring and we can once again expect another stellar list of entries this season.

Who is the most iconic winner of the Desert Orchid Chase?

We have already mentioned that the Desert Orchid Chase has only been going since 2006 but the roll of honour is one of the most impressive in the sport.

A plethora of Champion Chase winners have scored in the Desert Orchid at Kempton on their way to Cheltenham but top of the charts is Sprinter Sacre who remains an icon of the sport. The Nicky Henderson trained legend won the Kempton contest in 2015 on his way to a second Queen Mother win at Prestbury Park and the sight of the seven Barrows star back to his best will be a memory that lives long in the hearts of racing fans and punters.

Are there any trials for the Desert Orchid Chase?

The two mil chasing division in the UK has a a clear programme with a host of top class races for punters to follow through the winter on the road to Prestbury Park in the spring.

Potential runners at Kempton are likely to have run in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham or the Tingle Creek at Sandown with some of the best horses in training likely to have appeared in those two contests. The Tingle Creek would be the biggest race of the season outside of the Festival so it would be by no means a "trial" for the Desert Orchid but the Kempton contest could well be the next stepping stone after Sandown.