Kempton King George VI Christmas Festival 2026 Betting Odds, Races & Free Bets
Coming up: 26–27 December 2026. Antepost markets, day-by-day card and the best Free Bets to back the festival.
The festive jumps highlight. King George VI Chase (Grade 1, 3 miles, Boxing Day) is the second-most prestigious Grade 1 chase of the year after the Cheltenham Gold Cup — Desert Orchid, Kauto Star and Frodon are among the most decorated multiple winners. The Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) is the other big Boxing Day race.
Festival Schedule at a Glance
Day-by-day breakdown of the meeting's headline races. Each column is one day of Kempton Boxing Day.
How to Bet Kempton Boxing Day — Punter Tips
Evergreen strategy notes for the meeting. Hand-curated from years of festival form study.
- King George VI Chase form historically points strongly to the Cheltenham Gold Cup — winners since 2010 include Kauto Star, Long Run, Silviniaco Conti and many other future Gold Cup champions.
- Kempton is a right-handed track — horses who go better right-handed have a strong King George record.
- The Christmas Hurdle (Day 2 at Kempton, sometimes Boxing Day) is the top 2m hurdle of mid-winter — strong Champion Hurdle pointer.
- Boxing Day fields are typically smaller than Cheltenham/Aintree — but quality is exceptional. Back proven Grade 1 winners.
- For the Desert Orchid Chase, look for horses dropping back from 3m to 2½m — Kempton suits sharper jumpers.
Bookmaker Strategy — What to Use, and When
How to get the best value at Kempton Boxing Day — which UK bookies run the strongest BOG, Extra Places, NRNB and money-back offers.
- Best Odds Guaranteed runs on Boxing Day — essential to take prices early as the King George market shortens quickly.
- NRNB on the King George widely available from October onwards.
- Festival enhanced odds on King George runners at most UK bookies from the week before Christmas.
- Money-back-if-falls/refuses promotions on the King George at Betfred and BetVictor.
Festival Info — TV, Attendance, Weather & Travel
- TV coverage
- ITV / ITV Racing (King George VI Chase live, Boxing Day afternoon)
- Peak attendance
- 20,000 on Boxing Day
- Typical weather & going
- Late December in Surrey — typically good to soft after winter rain. Heavy ground unusual at Kempton.
- Getting there
- Kempton Park Station direct to the course. London Waterloo to Kempton 35 minutes. Boxing Day is the biggest crowd of the year — be prepared for queues.
Headline Races at Kempton Boxing Day
The Group 1 / Grade 1 races that define the meeting. Day labels match the official festival schedule.
Why Bet Kempton Boxing Day?
- Best Odds Guaranteed across both Boxing Day and 27 Dec cards
- Extra Places on the King George (usually 4 places paid)
- Festive enhanced odds at most bookies on King George contenders
Best Free Bets for Kempton Boxing Day
Kempton's King George is the festive jumps highlight. Bookmakers below pay BOG across the meeting and run Festive enhanced odds on the headline races.
365GMBLR
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When the fun stops, stop.
The Venue: Kempton Park
Home of the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day — the second most prestigious Grade 1 chase after the Cheltenham Gold Cup, run over 3 miles. Right-handed, flat circuit suits the speedier jumpers (Desert Orchid, Kauto Star and Frodon are among the most decorated multiple winners).
Full Kempton Park racecourse guide →18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. T&Cs apply at each operator. All horse racing bookmakers verified UKGC-licensed. Welcome offers re-checked monthly. Free help and support at GambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133. Self-exclusion tools at GamStop.
When the fun stops, stop.