# King George VI Chase 2026: Racetimes, TV Coverage & Raceday Guide _The King George VI Chase and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day: race date, off time, recent winners, trends and the raceday guide._ *Source: [https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/king-george-vi-chase/](https://stablebet.co.uk/racing-news/king-george-vi-chase/) ยท last updated 2026-10-09* # King George VI Chase 2026 The **King George VI Chase** at Kempton Park is the Boxing Day highlight of the jumps season: the mid-season three-mile chasing championship, second only to the Cheltenham Gold Cup among Britain's staying chases. It shares the card with the **Christmas Hurdle**, a Grade 1 for the top two-mile hurdlers, and this page covers both. For **2026** the King George is scheduled for **Saturday 26 December 2026**, the first day of Kempton's two-day Christmas meeting. The off time, the going and the declared runners are confirmed in race week, and this page adds the off time and going as they are published. ## At a glance - **Course:** Kempton Park, Surrey - **Grade:** Grade 1 - **Distance:** 3m - **Age:** 4yo+ - **First run:** 1937 - **Also on the card:** the Christmas Hurdle, Grade 1 over 2m Below: the 2026 details, the recent winners of both races, how to watch, and the day out. Our [King George course guide](/uk-racecourses/kempton-park/king-george-vi-chase-guide/) and the full [King George roll of honour](/uk-racecourses/kempton-park/king-george-vi-chase-winners/) have more of the race's history, and the [Kempton Park course guide](/uk-racecourses/kempton-park/) covers the track. ## 2026 race details # 2026 race details | Detail | Value | |---|---| | **Race date** | Saturday 26 December 2026 | | **Off time** | TBA | | **Going** | TBA | | **Field size** | TBA | | **Distance** | 3m | | **Grade** | Grade 1 | | **Age** | 4yo+ | Final declarations are made two days before the race, and the off time and going above update once they are published. ### Where the race fits Kempton's sharp, flat track suits a slick-jumping chaser more than a pure stayer. The same day brings the [Formby Novices' Hurdle](/racing-news/formby-novices-hurdle/) at Aintree, Leopardstown's [Christmas Festival](/festivals/leopardstown-christmas-festival/) starts in Ireland, and the [Welsh Grand National](/racing-news/welsh-grand-national/) follows at Chepstow. Earlier in the season the [Betfair Chase](/racing-news/betfair-chase/) at Haydock is the first Grade 1 staying chase in Britain. Our [festivals and big races board](/festivals/) lists every big race coming up, soonest first. On race morning the [AI race predictor](/ai-race-predictor/) publishes its ratings and fair prices for every British race, the King George included. The box below fills in on the day with the model's top-rated runner in the King George and its fair price, then shows how that runner finished. Every earlier box is listed with its result, losers included, and the [track record](/ai-race-predictor/track-record/) covers every race the model prices. ## Recent winners and trends # Recent winners and trends ## The Christmas Hurdle # The Christmas Hurdle The Christmas Hurdle is a Grade 1 hurdle over 2m for horses aged four and over, on the same Boxing Day card as the King George. ## The records # The records - **King George, most wins by a horse:** Kauto Star, five (2006 to 2009, and 2011). - **King George, leading trainer:** Paul Nicholls, with thirteen wins; Clan des Obeaux, Frodon, Bravemansgame and Silviniaco Conti are among the recent ones. - **Christmas Hurdle, most wins by a horse:** Constitution Hill, three (2022, 2023 and 2024). - **Christmas Hurdle, leading trainer:** Nicky Henderson, with fourteen wins since 1969; Nico de Boinville has ridden six winners. - **A Champion Hurdle pointer:** six Christmas Hurdle winners have gone on to win the Champion Hurdle, most recently Epatante and Constitution Hill. ## How to watch and where to bet # How to watch and where to bet The television listing and the off time are confirmed in race week, when the declarations are out. This page shows the off time above as soon as it is published. Two things are worth checking before you bet: - **Free bets and their terms.** Check the minimum odds and the expiry before you claim. Our [free bet offers](/bookmakers/best-free-bet-offers/) page compares them. - **Best odds guaranteed.** Prices move once the going is known. A BOG bookmaker pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took. See our [best BOG bookmakers](/bookmakers/best-bog-bookmakers/). 18+. Bet only what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, [BeGambleAware](https://www.begambleaware.org/) offers free, confidential help. ## Raceday at Kempton Park # Raceday at Kempton Park King George day is one of the busiest days of the year at Kempton, and Boxing Day crowds are big. Book ahead, and allow extra time for holiday travel. For getting there and the enclosures, read our [King George day at Kempton](/uk-racecourses/kempton-park/king-george-chase-day-kempton/) guide and the [day out at Kempton Park](/uk-racecourses/kempton-park/kempton-park-day-out-guide/) guide. Results go on this page within 24 hours of the race, and the full card's results are on our [racing results](/racing-results/) page the same evening. ## Frequently asked questions # Frequently asked questions ### When is the King George VI Chase 2026? Saturday 26 December 2026 at Kempton Park. The off time is confirmed in race week and shown in the race details above. ### What distance is the King George VI Chase? 3m. It is a Grade 1 chase. ### Which horse has won the King George most often? Kauto Star, with five wins. ### Is the King George VI Chase the same race as the King George at Ascot? No. The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a flat race at Ascot in July. The King George VI Chase is the jumps race at Kempton on Boxing Day. ### What else is on the card on Boxing Day at Kempton? The Christmas Hurdle, a Grade 1 race for the top two-mile hurdlers, covered in its own section above.