King George VI Chase

The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race in the United Kingdom for four-year-old and above horses. It is run over a distance of 3 miles (4,828 metres) at Kempton Park Racecourse on Boxing Day. There are eighteen fences to be jumped in the race. Prior to the re-development of Kempton in 2005, which included the removal of a water-jump, the race had nineteen obstacles.

It was first run in February 1937 and was named in honour of the new monarch, King George VI.

The race did not immediately earn the prestige it has today. It was only run twice before World War II, during which Kempton Park was closed for racing and used as a prisoner-of-war camp. The pre-war races only attracted four runners each - the winner of the first, Southern Hero, remains the oldest ever winner of the race.

After the war the course re-opened and the race returned in 1947 on a new date - Boxing Day. When it was won the following year by Cottage Rake, a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, the race rose in stature and in 1949 it was televised for the first time.

The King George VI Chase is now surpassed in prestige only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Many horses have won it more than once (nine between 1973 and 2005), with Desert Orchid, one of the most famous and popular winners, successful a record four times. Triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Arkle and Best Mate both also won this race, and in 2004 and 2005 the race was won by Kicking King.

Winners

* "Abandonments / Postponements / Venue Changes:"
1939-46 - Kempton Park closed for racing during World War II and used as a reception centre for prisoners-of-war.
1961, 1962, 1967 - abandoned because of frost.
1968 - abandoned because of foot-and-mouth disease restrictions.
1970 - abandoned because of snow.
1981 - abandoned because of snow and frost.
1995 - postponed at Kempton Park on Boxing Day due to snow and frost, switched to Sandown Park on January 6, 1996.
2005 - run at Sandown Park as Kempton Park was closed for re-development.

References

* [http://www.kinggeorgechase.com/winners.php kinggeorgechase.com]
* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=3380 pedigreequery.com]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=26937&r_date=1988-12-26 1988] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=32473&r_date=1989-12-26 1989] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=38099&r_date=1990-12-26 1990] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=43564&r_date=1991-12-26 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=49365&r_date=1992-12-26 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=55187&r_date=1993-12-27 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=60958&r_date=1994-12-26 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=66776&r_date=1996-1-6 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=232159&r_date=1996-12-26 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=245442&r_date=1997-12-26 1997]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=259085&r_date=1998-12-26 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=274544&r_date=1999-12-27 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=293379&r_date=2000-12-26 2000] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=308715&r_date=2001-12-26 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=324604&r_date=2002-12-26 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=341766&r_date=2003-12-26 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=361045&r_date=2004-12-26 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=394405&r_date=2005-12-26 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=419451&r_date=2006-12-26 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=443554&r_date=2007-12-26 2007]
* [http://www.sportingchronicle.com/ukracecourses/courseshk/kinggeorge.html sportingchronicle.com]

ee also

* Horseracing in Great Britain
* List of British National Hunt races