What are the best racing tips for Kempton on Boxing Day?

Our betting tips for Boxing Day include a best bet for every race including the King George VI where our pick is 13/2. There is also a 6/1 bet on the first race and 15/2 bet on the last race.

What racing is on Boxing Day this year?

There are 11 race meetings taking place on Boxing Day this year - Kempton and Leopardstown are the featured meetings but there is also action from Down Royal, Sedgefield, Wetherby, Fontwell, Aintree, Limerick, Market Rasen, Wincanton & Wolverhampton.

Who will win the 2025 King George VI Chase on Boxing Day?

Read our preview for the Grade 1 race in our Kempton Boxing Day tips article, as well as the best bets for all six races.

Kempton Boxing Day Tips - Best Bets for Friday 26th December

Last Updated on 24/12/2025 by Andy Clark

There’s a real Christmas Cracker for horse racing fans on Boxing Day with the first of two top-class days’ racing at Kempton, with the latest renewal of the King George VI Chase providing the biggest feast of the day.

A six-race card goes to post and is sponsored by leading bookmaker Ladbrokes, while Ed Chamberlain and the team will be on hand with the ITV Racing cameras to cover the best of the day’s action with four races live from the Sunbury track – three of which are Grade One contests.

Kempton Boxing Day Tips 2025

Kempton’s Boxing Day meeting is many people’s feature event of the year, away from the Cheltenham Festival, and the King George VI Chase is the obvious highlight. This year’s renewal looks as competitive as ever, with three horses vying for favouritism at the top of the betting odds.

12:45pm Kempton – “Get Your Ladbrokes Free Kempton Bet” Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) Cl3 (4yo+ 0-130) 2m4½f

Noble Park is on a hat-trick of wins, and it has been difficult not to be impressed by Nicky Henderson’s charge in his two wins to date. It might be worth chancing BARLOVENTO (6/1), however, to improve on his chase debut at Exeter last month, where Olly Murphy’s charge was beaten only a half-length by reopposing U Can’t Be Serious.

The Soldier Of Fortune caught the eye with a strong finishing effort, having found himself outpaced mid-race, coming through to lead over the second last before being run down close home by the eventual winner, from whom he now receives 9lbs. That swing in the weights could be enough to see that form overturned this time around.

That run was his first in 300 days following wind surgery, and he’s entitled to improve from the run and the experience, so it is feasible to think there’s more to come. He has also won a bumper on a sharp track, so this layout should not present too many concerns, and he has proven himself on a range of underfoot conditions.

He looks a nice chasing prospect, and at the weights, he looks worth chancing to go one better than his debut over fences.

1:20pm Kempton – Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (In Memory Of Nigel Clark) (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 3m

Kitzbuhel has to be respected representing the Willie Mullins camp, but the Cokoriko gelding has stamina to prove over this longer trip, and he has shown a tendency to run freely, so it might be worth siding with WENDIGO (5/2) to take this Grade One prize with Jamie Snowden’s charge looking every inch a stayer.

The Great Pretender gelding finished fifth in last season’s Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, and he built on a promising chase debut at Worcester in October to get off the mark in this sphere at Newbury with a defeat of No Questions Asked in the Grade Two John Francome Chase.

That race was run at a decent pace, and he outstayed the eventual runner-up, who had travelled much the best in the race and perhaps just got to the front too soon. He had no answers to the strong challenge of the winner, who knuckled down after the last to grind out the victor,y and that attitude will stand him in good stead here.

The Newbury race is over a shorter trip than this, but he’ll appreciate the return to three miles and with further improvement anticipated, he can follow up that success with victory here.

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1:55pm Kempton – Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 2m

Golden Ace has shown she is no slouch, but there has been a hint of fortune over her big race victories. Firstly, taking advantage of State Man’s Cheltenham Festival fall to land the Champion Hurdle last term and Jeremy Scott’s charge again benefited from the departure of the two market principals when taking the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle four weeks ago.

The Golden Horn mare does deserve the utmost respect, but she’ll do well to lower the colours of SIR GINO (4/7), who is unbeaten over hurdles and fences for Nicky Henderson and the It’s Gino gelding could prove tough to beat as he bids to successfully maintain his perfect record.

Four times a winner over hurdles last term, which included Grade Ones at Aintree and Newcastle, he was switched to fences at this meeting twelve months ago, impressively beating Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad Chase. However, as impressive as that was, his previous victory in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle was every bit as eye-catching and still unexposed as a hurdler; he likely has plenty more left in his tank.

This will be his first run since his chase win at this venue last term, but if Nicky Henderson has him close to his best, then he’ll likely take plenty of beating here, and he could well prove to be Seven Barrows’ best Champion Hurdle hope this season if delivering success in this contest. He’s 2-2 at Kempton, having also won over hurdles here back in December 2023, and this ground will hold no fear,s so he’s likely to take plenty of beating.

2:30pm Kempton – Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1) (GBB Race) Cl1 (4yo+) 3m

The Irish have an excellent recent record in this race and again boast a solid team headed by Gaelic Warrior, who got the better of reopposing Fact To File in the John Durkan at Punchestown last month.

However, while this will prove his toughest test to date, it might be worth taking a punt on THE JUKEBOX MAN (13/2), who is 3-3 over fences, and Ben Pauling’s Ask gelding looks sure to go on to even bigger things, judging by his victory at Haydock last month.

That was his seasonal debut, where he saw off Iroko by two lengths, scoring readily, and that form has been boosted by the runner-up going one better in a valuable event at Ascot last weekend. He has also won the Kauto Star Chase here, which has proven a useful stepping stone to future winners of this contest, and it would be foolish to rule out further improvement in the seven-year old who is well worth his place in this line-up.

In the frame in three Grade One races over hurdles, including at the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree, he will surely build on his reappearance victory and for all this will demand more from him, taking on the top Irish horses, he could be worth chancing nonetheless.

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3:05 Kempton – “Join Ladbrokes Bet £5 Get £30” Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race) Cl2 (4yo+) 2m

KLUB DE REVE (10/3) has shown definite promise in his two hurdle starts thus far, and Harry Derham’s charge can open his account at the third attempt.

The Fly With Me gelding placed in a valuable bumper at Newbury back in March, and he returned to action at the same venue last month to finish around five lengths fourth to Captain Hugo. That race is working out quite well with a subsequent winner and a couple of placed runs since coming out of the race.

He bettered that performance when chasing down Gentleman Toboot at Exeter earlier in December, with the front two pulling clear, and he likely has even more to offer on the back of those two promising runs. This looks like a decent opportunity for him to get off the mark, so a big run wouldn’t come as a shock.

3:40 Kempton – Ladbrokes “Best Odds Guaranteed In Racing” Handicap Hurdle Cl3 (3yo+ 0-140) 2m5f

PASO DOBLE (15/2) made a winning reappearance at Fontwell in October, and the Dawn Approach gelding could be worth siding with to land the finale for trainer Paul Nicholls.

The eight-year old has already proven himself adept at this venue with a record reading 312, and last season showed he had lost none of his ability despite a near-three-year layoff. He made a winning reappearance following another six months off when successful at Fontwell, and he’s run well on both starts since at Sandown and Lingfield respectively, where he perhaps just found the trip too much behind A Perfect Day.

He was only beaten around four lengths there, and he may find this slightly shorter trip much more to his liking. He is still potentially well-handicapped off this mark, winning earlier in his career off higher and with Lorcan Williams taking over from a conditional rider for this latest run, he can make his presence felt.