King George VI Chase Odds Update: Major Weekend Movers and New Contenders for Kempton

Although we as sports fans, and indeed human beings, are always told to live in the moment when brilliant performances are happening before our eyes, it's human nature to look to the future.

As the staying and middle distance chasers exemplified their talents over the weekend, the odds for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day waxed and waned. Billy Grimshaw has let the dust settle and takes stock of the contenders here for us...

Should the King George VI Chase of 2025 be half as exciting as Sunday's John Durkan showdown, we are in for a real spectacle. Sadly, it seems we won't see the rematch between the 1-2 at Punchestown in GAELIC WARRIOR and FACT TO FILE. Both are of course trained by Willie Mullins and the master of Closutton will look to keep them apart, with one being sent to Leopardstown instead as their season unfolds. Given the clear dislike he holds for that track, it would be a surprise to see Gaelic Warrior stay on home soil and the odds compilers clearly agree in making him a sub 2/1 chance for Kempton glory.

Fact To File is fourth favourite at 6/1 but were he confirmed to be heading for this race, he would no doubt be close to his stablemate in terms of odds as there was less than a cigarette paper between them on seasonal reappearance at Punchestown and with the extra distance at Kempton, he could well reverse the form. He is, however, long odds-on to be staying on the Irish side of the Irish Sea for his festivities, however, and is a firm avoid for any antepost punters looking to play the race now a month or so out.

Gaelic Warrior is an enigmatic animal but there is no doubting his talent and his John Durkan triumph showcased more heart and desire to claim glory than we have seen before. He is still only eight and it is feasible he is only just hitting his peak, which is a scary proposition for any potential rivals. Should he head to Kempton and win well, there will be cries aplenty for him to head to Cheltenham once more and chase Gold Cup glory, particularly as Fact To File will no doubt be dominating the Ryanair market barring accident or injury. The John Durkan was the race of the season so far and as the winner of that contest, he is a worthy antepost King George favourite, but the home team won't go down without a fight.

Leading the charge for team GB is Arkle hero JANGO BAIE, who rubber stamped his ticket to the big dance with a supremely impressive 1965 Chase win on Saturday. His odds are ranging between 3/1 and 4/1 depending on where you look and with Kempton the 'easiest' track to get three miles and Nicky Henderson confirming he was not even at 100% at Ascot, it would be a brave punter to rule him out. There are often categories you can place Arkle winners into, speed horses or novices that in time will stay and this lad is certainly in the latter category. One suspects he will run in the King George and drop back to the intermediate distance at Cheltenham for the Ryanair Chase, where he could well be one of the only challengers willing to face the brilliant defending champion.

Not only at Kempton did we see sparkling staying chasers, with GREY DAWNING gaining sweet revenge on Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase. In 2024 he was beaten in heavy ground and never really recovered, but team Skelton have learned their lessons this season and will skip the King George with their dashing grey after he flopped in the race last season, blaming a dislike for Kempton. This would be a blow to the race, were it not for an hour or so beforehand in the Graduation Chase THE JUKEBOX MAN reintroduced himself to the racing public in scintillating fashion.

The Harry Redknapp owned seven year old was near faultless in his victory and had his handler Ben Pauling positively purring in the aftermath of the race, confirming the King George was his target and the Cheltenham aim was to be decided by how he performed at Kempton. He has more than earned his single figure odds quotes, but one suspects he may need the ground to come up testing to blunt the speed of both Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie if those more nimble rivals turn up on Boxing Day in the form they showed at Ascot and Punchestown respectively.