The highlight of the racing calendar over the busy Christmas period is undoubtedly the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

The race, which is run over a distance of three miles, negotiating eighteen fences, is now the second most prestigious chase in England, surpassed only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup - and it has been subject to the best horse racing gambles.

The last ten renewals of the race have been dominated by horses trained by Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Colin Tizzard. Clan Des Obeaux held off stern competition from Thistlecrack to win a dramatic race last year and both horses line up again.

Here is a look at the trends and statistics on the King George VI Chase based on the last ten years:

Age: 7 of the last ten winners were aged between 6 and 8 years old.

Form:

• Six of the last ten winners were officially rated 172 or higher.
• Nine of the last ten winners ran in the last forty days.
• Ten of the last ten winners had won over three miles plus.
• Ten of the last ten winners had won at least one Grade One chase.
• Nine of the last ten winners had won at Kempton before over the race distance.

 

Trainer Form:

• Paul Nicholls has won five of the last ten renewals.
• Nicky Henderson had notable success with Long Run in this race before Might Bite came along.
• Colin Tizzard broke the Nicholls/Henderson stranglehold on this race in 2015 and 2016.
• Irish trained runners have a very poor record in this race, boasting just three winners in the last forty years. Those winners were: Florida Pearl (2001) and Kicking King (2004, 2005).

 

Starting Price:

• Five favourites have won in the last ten King George VI Chase renewals.
• All the winners since 2005 had been priced 9/2 or shorter until Clan Des Obeaux booked that trend last years when scoring at 12/1.

 

King George VI Chase: Runners

Aso (Venetia Williams)

Even though the Williams stable are boasting a fantastic strike rate at the moment, it is very hard to make a case for Aso here, especially after his last run in the Peterborough Chase.

The nine-year-old won a couple of competitive handicaps last season, and then went to The Festival in March where he was second to Frodon in the Ryanair Chase.

He kicked off this campaign finishing third in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but his next run at Huntingdon was well under-par and he will need to bounce back and run the race of his life here to trouble the judge.

 

Clan Des Obeaux (Paul Nicholls)

The defending champion Clan Des Obeaux matched Road To Respect for most of the way in the JN Wine Champion Chase at Down Royal before the home contender’s superior fitness told in the end.

It was a very encouraging return to say the least and one could argue that it was a superior return compared to his first appearance of last season – finishing fourth and well beaten in the Betfair Chase.

Sam Twiston-Davies takes the ride after Harry Cobden decided to side with Nicholls’ other runner, Cyrname.

 

Cyrname (Paul Nicholls)

Cyrname hit the racing headlines last season when he followed up his wide margin handicap win at Ascot with a 17 length demolition job of Waiting Patiently in the Ascot Chase.

Proving that was no fluke, Cyrname inflicted a first defeat over jumps on Altior in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot last time out and has earned his right to dine at the top table.

The seven-year-old is a very live contender for the race in 888sport's latest horse racing betting but there will be plenty of others hoping to deny Nicholls adding to his record haul of 10 King George triumphs this Christmas.

 

Footpad (Willie Mullins)

The Willie Mullins-trained Footpad let us all know that he is still a force to be reckoned with when he landed the Boomerang.ie Chase at Thurles.

That victory was a real boost for the former Arkle winner after a spell in the doldrums last season which followed a stellar novice campaign.

Mullins is bidding to register his second victory in the race following the success of the popular Florida Pearl back in 2001.

Lostintranslation (Colin Tizzard)

Colin Tizzard’s exciting seven-year-old puts his blossoming reputation right on the line in this contest when he goes out to prove that he can mix it with the reigning champion Clan Des Obeaux and the highest-rated chaser in Britain, Cyrname.

Wins in both the Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle and the Betfair Chase at Haydock have catapulted the gelding into being a leading fancy for both the King George and the Gold Cup, but Boxing Day will be the litmus test for whether those dreams can become reality.

Should he add the King George and Gold Cup to his Betfair win, Lostintranslation is looking at a very cool £1m bonus.

 

Thistlecrack (Colin Tizzard)

This will be Thistlecrack’s fourth crack at the King George and it is hard to believe that he has not won again since he last tasted Kempton glory three years ago.

Having been dismissed as an also-ran before last year’s race, the veteran campaigner almost pulled off an improbable second success when he just went down by 1½ length to Clan Des Obeaux.

A narrow defeat in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on his seasonal return showed that there is still plenty of fire in Thistlecrack’s belly yet.

 

La Bague Au Roi (Warren Greatrex)

The eight-year-old mare was in blistering form in her novice season but this year she has failed to hit those heights, having been pulled up in the Charlie Hall Chase and then finishing third in the Peterborough Chase.

She is likely to bounce back at some point soon but it’s highly unlikely to be in this race against her sternest opposition to date.

 

Who Wins The King George VI Chase?

French-bred Footpad has always been a class act and is trading at a very backable each-way price given all the focus is on the three runners at the head of the market.

He can continue his resurgence here in what would be a joyeux Noël for his supporters.

888sport suggests: Footpad (e/w).

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark J. Terrill / AP Photo*

Earlier this year, 888Sport named their best ever Premier League XI. As the 2010s draw to a close, we’ve undertaken a similar task. This time the 2010s are the focus, and there are plenty of difficult decisions to make.

The aim here is to have a team that, on paper at least, would function properly. The shape we’ve opted for is a 4-3-1-2 with a couple of Belgians in the midfield quartet.

Manchester City and Chelsea have four players apiece, while Manchester United, Spurs and football betting Premier League favourites Liverpool fill the other spots.

Plenty of big names missed out, but hopefully the explanations make the decision making clearer…

David De Gea

This was pretty much a shootout between David de Gea and former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech. De Gea won the BBC’s vote between the sticks and he gets the better of Cech here, too.

De Gea has declined slightly over the last couple of seasons, but he was the undisputed ‘keeper in the world for a period. Cech’s best years came before the start of this decade, and that carries weight.

 

Cesar Azpilicueta

Few players have been as consistent as Cesar Azpilicueta. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Pablo Zabaleta all had support for this spot, but Azpilicueta’s longevity and adaptability see him claim the first outfield position.

Alexander-Arnold hasn’t played enough minutes to be given serious consideration, Zabaleta’s peak was too short. Walker was the one who made this decision toughest.

Azpilicueta has been a better defender throughout the decade, and that just about outweighs Walker’s superiority going forward.

Vincent Kompany

Possibly the easiest selection of the lot. If it wasn’t for injuries, Vincent Kompany may well be considered the best Premier League player of the decade.

Instead, the Belgian has to settle for four Premier League titles and a couple of FA Cups. Kompany was among the best centre-backs in the world in his pomp. Even in his post-peak seasons, Manchester City were a better team with him on the pitch.

His impact on Manchester City, and on the Premier League, cannot be overstated.

John Terry

Virgil van Dijk has been the best central defender of the last decade, his peak was higher than anyone else’s.

In selecting a team of the decade, though, longevity and Premier League success matters. Liverpool, and van Dijk, have not won a Premier League despite an historic 2018/19 campaign.

John Terry has three titles to his name in the 2010s (albeit he didn’t play much in the 2016/17 season). It was a close-run thing, but Terry’s longevity just pipped van Dijk for the spot alongside Kompany.

Andrew Robertson

Andy Robertson is only halfway through his fourth Premier League season. He has been a revelation at Liverpool, and quickly become one of the best full-backs on the planet.

His selection here may seem generous, but the position hasn’t exactly been loaded through the 2010s.

Jan Vertonghen could have been shoehorned into this spot, and that was a tempting option. Other than that, Patrice Evra, Marcos Alonso and Gael Clichy didn’t provide much competition for Robertson.

N'Golo Kante

How could anyone leave N’Golo Kante out? Kante was as important as anyone in Leicester’s improbable title charge. He then switched blue jerseys and won PFA Player of the Year as Chelsea lifted the Premier League trophy.

The most likeable player in football has since won the World Cup and continued to dominate Premier League midfields.

BBC’s poll saw Kante get outvoted by Steven Gerrard. There’s no room for Gerrard in this side, and quite frankly, it wasn’t that close between the Liverpool legend and Kante.

Yaya Toure

At his best, Yaya Toure grabbed games by the scruff of the neck, turning them in City’s favour at his will.

His 2013/14 campaign should be regarded as one of the best individual seasons in Premier League history – opponents had no answer to Toure’s runs on and off the ball.

Few midfielders have scored 20 in a Premier League campaign. With Kante covering all the ground defensively, Toure will be able to spread the play in this side and join the front four when required.

 

Kevin De Bruyne

The last few seasons have seen every superlative used to describe Kevin De Bruyne.

He does the basics to perfection, and he makes the extraordinary look thoroughly simple. De Bruyne is the best passer in Premier League history.

There’s a risk of recency bias with De Bruyne’s selection. Juan Mata at Chelsea, David Silva and Christian Eriksen all have a claim for this spot, but none have quite reached the dizzy heights of De Bruyne.

Eden Hazard

Mohamed Salah, Gareth Bale and Alexis Sanchez were all more prolific. Luis Suarez had a spectacular individual season in 2013/14.

Eden Hazard, though, won two Premier League titles (two more than those four combined) and transformed Chelsea.

Hazard’s close control and low centre of gravity made it near-impossible to dispossess him. When engaged and fully fit, he elevated Chelsea to title contention (he won PFA Player of the Year in 2014/15 and finished second in 2016/17).

 

Sergio Aguero

Sergio Aguero is one of those players that won’t receive the adulation he deserves until he leaves the Premier League. He has the best goals per game ratio in Premier League history, having scored 173 times in 252 appearances.

Not just an excellent finisher and reliable goal scorer, Aguero also provided the Premier League's most memorable moment when he received the ball from Mario Balotelli and fired past Paddy Kenny in May 2012.

 

Harry Kane

Just the second player in the XI not to have won a Premier League title, Harry Kane was an easy pick alongside Aguero.

Kane’s 134 Premier League goals in 198 appearances is third in goals per game ratio, marginally behind Aguero and Thierry Henry. 

The Spurs striker has battled injuries over the last couple of seasons, but he’s remained prolific. Alan Shearer’s record could be under threat of Kane keeps this pace up.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*