King George VI Chase preview: Pedigree Pointers from Cassie Tully

Aside from the leftover turkey and dregs in the bottom of the Celebrations tin, Boxing Day has to be synonymous with some of the greatest and most enjoyable racing on the calendar.

And in a year which has set us back to basics and forced appreciation for essentially everything in life that we tyically take for granted, the racing this Christmas could not be more anticipated and cherished.

It doesn’t get much more prestigious than Kempton’s King George VI Chase in whose 83-year history, eleven horses have won back-to-back editions. Only two horses have ever done three in a row– Desert Orchid and Kauto Star, and this year's favourite Clan Des Obeaux is bidding to emulate them in the festive highlight on Saturday.

Of the last twenty individual horses to win the King George, nine of them are French-breds (including the record holding five-time winner Kauto Star), six were bred in Ireland and five were British-bred (including the other three-in-a-row winner Desert Orchid).

This year the French-breds dominate the field with five representatives including last year’s first and second home, three are Irish-bred and just Santini flies the British flag.

Without further ado, here is a run through this year’s contenders and how they are bred.

CLAN DES OBEAUX (FR)

A two-time Grade One winner, both of which came in the past two runnings of this race. Bidding for elite status, his trainer holds the record for most winners of the King George including the five-timer Kauto Star. Clan Des Obeaux placed second in the Grade One Betfair Chase on his seasonal reappearance a month ago, similar to the preparation for his last two wins.

SIRE: Kapgarde – A high-class performer over jumps in France, Kapgarde won a Grade Three Hurdle race and placed second by a neck in the Grade One Prix Ferdinand Dufaure Chase over two and half miles. Clan Des Obeaux was bred off Kapgarde’s €3,300 crop in 2011, a fee which has now hiked to €15,000 due to the exploits of some top sons including A Plus Tard, Fakir D’oudairies, Garde La Victoire, and so on.

FEMALE FAMILY: Clan Des Obeaux is actually the only Stakes performer within four generations of his female family. His dam placed twice over hurdles in France and produced two other winners from just three foals.

CYRNAME (FR)

Stablemate of Clan Des Obeaux and Britain’s highest rated steeplechaser, Cyrname won last year’s Grade One Ascot Chase, was the horse to end Altior’s streak of 19 wins and then finished 21 lengths behind his stablemate in this event. He set this season off to a good start in October when winning the Grade Two Charlie Hall Chase and the best could be yet to come.

SIRE: Nickname. A dual Grade One hurdle winner in France before transferring to Ireland and winning eight Graded chases including the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown. Nickname retired to stud in France for just three seasons before his untimely death. Each crop was bred at a fee of just €2,500 and they have yielded the likes of Cyrname, Frodon and Yala Enki.

FEMALE FAMILY: Cyrname is the third winner and best performer out of his winning dam Narquille, who is a full sister to the dam of Willie Mullins’ Grade Two winning Chaser Cadmium.

SANTINI (GB)

The surprise supplementation, Santini is the extremely lightly raced Grade One winner over hurdles and a fast finishing second to Al Boum Photo in this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup and potentially the dark horse of the race.

SIRE: Milan - A Champion Sire son of Sadler’s Wells who was also the grandsire/great-grandsire of three previous winners of this race, Cue Card, Thistlecrack and Might Bite. Milan won the St Leger on the track himself and is one of the leading sires in Britain and Ireland having produced the eight-time Grade One winning hurdler Jezki, Grade One Novice Chase winner Monalee (a non-runner here due to travel restrictions), as well as fellow Grade One scorers Apache Stronghold, Martello Tower, Beat That, Sizing Granite and so on.

FEMALE FAMILY: Santini is out of Tinagoodnight who won two races from just three starts including a two-mile hurdle event. As well as Santini, she has also produced Rockpoint (Shirocco) who won the Albert Bartlett in 2018, and Dusky Legend who placed second in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham.

LOSTINTRANSLATION (IRE)

Dual Grade One chase winner who pulled up in this event last year, finished third behind Al Boum Photo and Santini in the Gold Cup and finished third in the Betfair Chase a month ago on his reappearance this season.

SIRE: Flemensfirth – Leading National Hunt influence who retired from stud duties at the age of 28 earlier this year. Flemensfirth doesn’t need too much of an introduction but he was a dual Group One winner in France and Italy for Sheikh Mohammed in his day, and his genes have been best represented through the likes of treble Grade One winner Tidal Bay, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander and RSA Chase winner Topofthegame.

FEMALE FAMILY: Lostintranslation is the only winner from nine foals out of his dam Falika, who placed second in a Listed Hurdle race in France. They are from the family of a number of classy flat and jumps performers including Listed Hurdle winner FIdux and Listed Chase winner Le Bacardy, as well as the Royal Ascot Jersey Stakes winner and French Guineas placed, Le Brivido.

REAL STEEL (FR)

Yet to win a Grade One under any discipline, Real Steal did place second in the Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase at Fairyhouse last year and has won to Grade Two Chases. This is just his second start for Paul Nicholls after transferring from Willie Mullins’ yard.

SIRE: Loup Breton – A son of Anabaa, Loup Breton won Group Two races on the flat in France and the USA at four and six years. He covered just 101 mares in total over five crops in France and Real Steel is by far his flagship performer.

FEMALE FAMILY: Real Steal is out of the unraced Monsun mare Kalimina who has produced three winners from three runners and is out of a sister to the five-furlong Group One Prix de l’Abbaye winner Kistena!

SAINT CALVADOS (FR)

Yet to break through at the highest level but just a neck second to Min in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on his last outing.

SIRE: Saint Des Saints – A high-class performer over jumps in France, and now one of the most sought after stallions in his native country, commanding a fee of €15,000 for the past five years. Just like Buck’s Boum, he is by Cadoudal who himself sired Long Run to win the 2010 and 2012 renewal of this race.

Amongst a plethora of Saint Des Saints top performers are his top chasing sons Djakadam and Goliath du Berlais, as well as Grade One winning Hurdler Fusil Raffles.

FEMALE FAMILY: Saint Calvados is from a completely French family. His dam ran a few times over hurdles but is out of Maren Kassel who won three Listed events over hurdles in her home country and another of her daughters bred Fou Du Bresil who won a Listed Chase there last year.

WAITING PATIENTLY (IRE)

2018 Grade One Ascot Chase winner who has not been seen since finishing third to Defi Du Seuil in the Tingle Creek of December last year.

SIRE: Flemensfirth – Leading National Hunt influence who retired from stud duties at the age of 28 earlier this year; Flemensfirth doesn’t need too much of an introduction but he was a dual Group One winner in France and Italy for Sheikh Mohammed in his day and his genes have been best represented through the likes of treble Grade One winner Tidal Bay, Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander and RSA Chase winner Topofthegame.

FEMALE FAMILY: Waiting Patiently is out of the unraced Beneficial mare, Rossavon, who from just three runners has produced three winners including Waiting Patiently and Paul Nicholl’s exciting six-year-old McFabulous (Milan), who won a Grade Two Bumper at Aintree last year and a Grade Two Novice Hurdle at Chepstow in October. Watch this space.

FRODON (FR)

Another string to a strong Paul Nicholl’s bow, Frodon has run 37 times, winning on 15 of those occasions, nine of which were Graded events including the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in 2019. He finished fourth on his latest outing three weeks ago in the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase. Always dangerous to underestimate.

SIRE: Nickname. A dual Grade One hurdle winner in France before transferring to Ireland and winning eight Graded chases including the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown. Nickname retired to stud in France for just three seasons before his untimely death. Each crop was bred at a fee of just €2,500 and they have yielded the likes of Cyrname, Frodon and Yala Enki.

FEMALE FAMILY: Frodon’s Danzig-line dam was a winner over hurdles in France and is a half-sister to the top-class Alan King trained Medermit who won eight races including the Grade One Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown; as well as the dams of French Grade Three Chase winner Saint Pistol and Listed Chase winner Emeraude De Kerza.

BLACK OP (IRE)

Winner of the Grade One Mersey Novice Hurdle at Aintree in 2018 and has won just once since in a beginners' chase last year. Albeit did place second in the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase on Boxing Day last year.

SIRE: Sandmason – Winner of the Group Two mile and a half Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot for Sir Henry Cecil. Sandmason has stood at Paul Rothwell’s Lacken Stud in county Wexford for €1,000 since 2008 and Rothwell not only bred Black Op, but is also the breeder of Sandmason’s other top performer, the dual Grade One Novice hurdle winner Summerville Boy.

FEMALE FAMILY: Black Op is from a rich family of top jumping performers. His unraced dam is out of the Listed Brown Lad Hurdle winner Afarka, and is a half-sister to the Grade Two Sandown Select Hurdle winner Younevercall and the Grade Three hurdle placed Afasheen. It is the family of Grade One Hurdle performer Arafad, and multiple Grade Two hurdle winners Afsoun and Agrapart.