Category Archives: Racing News

The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase run over 3 miles at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. The race was inaugurated in February, 1937, and was named in honour of King George VI, who ascended to the throne, unexpectedly, in December, 1936, following the voluntary abdication of his older brother, King Edward VII. Horse racing at Kempton Park lapsed for the duration of World War II, when the site served as a reception camp for prisoners-of-war but, when racing returned in 1947, the King George VI Chase was rescheduled for Boxing Day.

Worth £250,000 in guaranteed prize money, the King George VI Chase is invariably the highlight of a bumper Boxing Day programme and, in terms of prestige, is second only to the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Indeed, the race forms the second leg of the so-called ‘Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown’, which offers a £1,000,000 bonus to any horse that wins the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season.

The most successful horse in the history of the King George VI Chase was Kauto Star, trained by Paul Nicholls, who won five times from six attempts between 2006 and 2011. That said, a total of fifteen horses have won the race more than once, with Wayward Lad (1982, 1983 and 1985) and Desert Orchid (1986, 1988, 1989 and 1990) among other notable multiple winners. Arkle, arguably the greatest steeplechaser in history, won the King George VI Chase just once, by a distance, in 1965, but would have won again in 1966, but for sufffering a career-ending injury during the race.

Paul Nicholls has won the King George VI Chase a remarkable 12 times, including five times in the last 10 years, so it is no real surprise that Bravemansgame, who won the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, over the same course and distance, last Boxing Day, is prominent in the ante-post betting for the 2022 renewal. Favourite, though, at the time of writing, is the dual Ryanair Chase winner, Allaho, trained by Willie Mullins.

The Dipper Novices’ Chase is a Grade 2 novices’ steeplechase run over 2 miles, 4 furlongs and 127 yards on the New Course at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day. As the name suggests, the race is open to horses, aged five years and upwards, who start the season without a win over regulation fences. In 1990, the Dipper Novices’ Chase was moved from its original position in the calendar, in November, to mid-January. In 2005, following abandonments in 2003 (twice) and 2004, the race was transferred to the traditional New Year’s Day fixture at Cheltenham.

Currently sponsored by Paddy Power, the Dipper Novices’ Chase was inaugurated, over the slightly shorter distance of 2 miles, 4 furlongs and 19 yards, at Newcastle in 1980. The inaugural running was won by Little Owl, trained by Peter Easterby, who went on to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup the following March. Peter Easterby also saddled Jimbrook (1984) and Dawson City (1993) to victory and alongside Alan King remains, jointly, the most successful trainer in the history of the Dipper Novices’ Chase.  It’s the kind of race where we can all have a punt, or if you’re short on ideas free horse racing tips are always a possible route to go!

Little Owl aside, other notable winners of the Dipper Novices’ Chase include Barton, My Way De Solzen, Oscar Whisky and L’Homme Presse. At the time of writing, the latter has recently been ruled out of the 2023 Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he was a general 6/1 chance, due to a ‘couple of issues’, but the 2023 winner, The Real Whacker is still among the entries for the ‘Blue Riband’ event. That said, he is most likely to contest the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, for which he is currently 6/1 joint favourite, rather than the Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which he has plenty to find on official ratings and is, consequently, a 66/1 outsider.

Plumpton racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing track located in Plumpton, East Sussex. Being situated near the Plumpton railway station, the racecourse is a convenient destination to many racegoers from London. The station receives trains every hour from London, and therefore people don’t have to wait for a long time before catching
one. Plumpton is famous for hosting National Hunt races. It is left-handed, and measures up to about 1 mile in circumference. Unlike majority of the races, its hurdle track is located outside its chase track. It hosts a total of 16 race meetings each year, starting from September all through to May. It is known to be one of the smallest racecourses in the country, and is used as a training venue for beginners. The racecourse has excellent viewing spots where racegoers can enjoy the races from.

In 1884 was when racing first took place in the Plumpton racecourse. Thomas Henry Case was the one behind its success. In 1876, he founded the venue before introducing horse racing in 1884. The racecourse remained under his management until in 1961 when it was bought by Isidore Kerman. Kerman oversaw the course’s development, and made the necessary improvements needed to accommodate the ever-growing racecourse. However, in 1998, Plumpton was once again sold off to two men named Peter Savill and Adrian Pratt. The gentlemen oversaw its development and ensured its economic survival.

This year, the racecourse will be staging a good number of fixtures. On the 13th of May will be the Ladies Day. Advanced tickets for this event will be going for 10 Euros. Children under the age of 18 years will be admitted for free if they are accompanied by a paying adult. A minibus will be available to pick the racegoers up from the Brighton train station. The racecourse has good hospitality services, facilitating a comfortable stay to the racegoers.

Cartmel racecourse is located in the beautiful village of Medieval, Cartmel, Cumburia County. The oval left-handed track is well known for holding National Hunt races, and has a total of nine racedays each year. The races commence in May during the Whit Holiday weekend, and run all through to the August Bank Holiday weekend. Its main circuit measures about one mile, and its most unique feature is that it has the longest run-in in the country, measuring up to over 4 furlongs. The steeplechase course is well-structured with a total of 6 fences, inclusive of water jumps and open ditches. It is designed in a way that its tracks are narrow with stiff fences and sharp bends, making it challenging and
thus suitable for horses specialized in front running courses.

Racing at Cartmel racecourse dates back to the 12th century, when it was started by the monks. However, it was until the year 1856 when official race meetings were held. The course saw a steady growth since then as the local land owners were in support of it. Racing came to a sudden halt following the outbreak of World War 2, but later, towards the second half of the 20th century it had resumed back to its normal activities. It made a strong comeback as it expanded its racing programs and made it more professional. In 1925, Cartmel racecourse dropped all other races and adhered to the National Hunt races.

Despite its small size, the racecourse has recorded a tremendous crowd attendance of over 20,000 people in a day. It has two public enclosures and a grandstand that offers different packages of dining and viewing options. Besides racing, Cartmel also hosts a wide range of events and functions. In 2014, it won a showcase award for Corporate Social Responsibility, which recognized its role in involving the local community in its activities.