King George VI 2020 Contenders

Clan des Obeaux will bid to win his third consecutive King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, the last horse to win more than two was Kauto Star back in 2011, when Paul Nicholls’ legendary gelding claimed his fifth King George VI success. 

Can Clan des Obeaux do it? 

We look at this year’s likely contenders and their credentials. 

Cyrname 

After a dominant start to 2019 which included a dominant 17L win in the Betfair Ascot Chase, Cyrname was a 21L runner up to Clan des Obeaux in the King George last year. Cyrname suffered a heavy fall at Ascot in the same race he won so convincingly the previous year. This kept this 176-rated horse out of action for the remainder of the season and ruled Cyrname out of Cheltenham action. 

Questions would be asked around Cyrname and whether he could get back to his best after his fall, but the Paul Nicholls trained horse showed little signs of a decline, with a promising 2L win on his season debut at Wetherby. 

Cyrname is likely to be the biggest threat to Clan des Obeaux and the antepost horse racing odds cannot split the two of them. 

Monalee 

Monalee was rated 173 ahead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2019, a race in which despite finishing 4th, was only 1 ¼ furlongs off the eventual winner Al Boum Photo. Monalee clearly has bags of talent but you have to go back to February 2019 since the last time he won a race. He is yet to run in a King George or try out the Kempton course and this 3m test could be just what Monalee needs to get back into the winner’s enclosure. 

Kemboy 

The Willie Mullins trained Kemboy was dominant throughout the winter of 2018 to spring 2019 beating the likes of Al Boum Photo, Clan des Obeaux and Monalee. 

Kemboy failed to win in the 2019/20 National Hunt season, he made his return to the track in November this year finishing 6L behind Presenting Percy, he did manage to see off potential King George VI 2020 rival Monalee but he will be hoping for a better season this time around. 

LostInTranslation

LostInTranslation made his King George VI debut in 2019 and went off as the 15/8 second favourite behind Cyrname. LostInTranslation had some of the best form going into the 2019 race, having won his previous three races beforehand, including the Betfair Chase at Haydock. He was unfortunately unable to complete the race and was pulled up, with Colin Tizzard citing he had breathing problems. 

LostInTranslation made his season debut finishing 47L behind the winner Bristol De Mai but the ground was heavy and this was ultimately too testing for him. With a sounder surface at Kempton on Boxing Day LostInTranslation could be a real force in the race. 

Frodon 

Another Paul Nicholls horse who has been entered into this year’s race is Frodon, who continues to defy the odds. Frodon hit new heights by winning the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2019. Despite being unable to repeat Cheltenham Festival success in 2020, Frodon did arguably produce his best effort on a racecourse yet winning a Class 2 at the Cheltenham November Meeting, when you consider he was top weight and it was his first run of the season. 

Frodon loves the underdog label and continues to overcome testing challenges. Frodon is yet to run in the King George but has some good form over the long trip and he also has previous course form winning the Silviniaco Conti Chase over the shorter 2m4 ½ trip. 

Clan des Obeaux 

Clan des Obeaux could join an exclusive group of legends including the likes of Kauto Star and Desert Orchid in winning three King George VI races. He beat Cyrname by 21 lengths last year and will confident of a strong showing again. Clan des Obeaux chased home Bristol De Mai on his seasonal debut in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and more is sure to come for this horse. He did suffer a slight injury on the back of that race but he is still on course to defend his crown. 

Clan des Obeaux is a C&D specialist and he is certainly going to be the one to beat come Boxing Day. 

Other Notable King George VI Challengers 

Willie Mullins has also entered Allaho and Melon into the race. Allaho finished 3rd behind Champ in the 2019 RSA Chase, while Melon has been runner up at four consecutive Cheltenham Festivals. 

Gordon Elliot has just the one entry in the King George with Down Royal Champion Chase winner, The StoryTeller. 

Joseph O’Brien’s Fakir d’Oudairies will be the trainers first runner in the race should he be a confirmed runner. 

While Harry Whittington has entered the Kate and Andrews Brooks owned Saint Calvados and Simply The Betts.

Which Trainers Have Strong Hands for the 2020 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe?

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remains Europe’s premier middle-distance Flat turf horse race with millions of Euros in prize money available for winning it at Longchamp on 4 October. This year’s renewal of the race promises to be as spectacular as ever. Form lines from top British, Irish, French and German races shall all be tied together in Paris. Which trainers have strong-looking hands ahead of the 2020 Arc? Let’s take a look… John Gosden Newmarket handler 

John Gosden has won three of the last five renewals and, despite favouring the Champion Stakes at Ascot for Prix du Jockey Club hero Mishriff next, there are two equine greats in his yard out to land the spoils. Enable is a dual winner of the Arc and finished runner-up to Waldgeist in her hat-trick bid last year.

Now aged six, this wonder mare won a record third King George at Ascot over the summer and now aims for similar history at Longchamp. Enable could be joined in the Arc by champion stayer Stradivarius, who has won three Gold Cups and four Goodwood Cups in succession. 

Also a six-year-old, owner Bjorn Nielsen favours a crack at the Arc over longer distance options in which Stradivarius is proven. Prince Khalid Abdullah, who owns Enable, also has 2019 St Leger hero Logician in training with Gosden and he has been saved for an autumn campaign. 

Aidan O’Brien 

Irish training maestro Aidan O’Brien has a major hope of Arc glory in the market leader Love. Already the 15/8 favourite if you want to bet on horse racing at 888sport, she has proven a cut above her fellow three-year-old fillies in three classy Group 1 victories this season.

Love has followed in the hoofprints of Enable by winning the Epsom Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks en route to her autumn target, the Arc. O’Brien and his wealthy Coolmore backers need to decide whether or not to supplement shock Epsom Derby hero Serpentine for this race but, unlike Love, he won’t have the weights entirely in his favour. 

Older inmates of Ballydoyle like Japan and Magical have had arguably their best chances of win the Arc pass them by. O’Brien’s younger son Donnacha may have an interesting contender in fellow Classic winning filly Fancy Blue. That would be some story if she were to win in what is her handler’s first year with a license. 

Jean-Claude Rouget 

Best of the French teams by far looks to be Jean-Claude Rouget’s stable. Among his Arc ammunition is three-year-old Hamdan Al Maktoum owned filly Raabihah, who just lost out on a place in a blanket finish to the Prix de Diane when fourth. 

She has since resumed winning ways and, as a three-year-old, gets the maximum weight-for-age and sex allowances at Longchamp. The likeable colt Port Guillaume also hails from the Rouget yard and he built on a fine fifth down the field to Mishriff with an impressive Group 2 success at Deauville in the Normandy coast last time out. 

Sottsass was third in the Arc last year, but has been hit and miss since. Rouget is training the four-year-old to try and peak in this race, however, following a less than ideal prep. This is still by the far the best of the home team.

Photo: Enable by Jlvsdrk (CC-BY-SA40) 

Biggest changes waiting in 2021 horse racing and betting

For most gamblers, especially horse racing fans, 2020 will be a year to forget. Covid 19 has been a disaster for many involved in the sporting world. In fact, the Cheltenham Festival was just about the last sporting fixture until lockdown. 

Should it have gone ahead or not? It's a matter of opinion but ahead it went even with criticism many punters enjoyed four days of high-class racing and then all went quiet.

Resumption of horse racing made a welcome return in June. 

How many things we all have taken for granted. 

In truth, it has been a year of difficulties and concerns. With the hope of a vaccine on the horizon it has brought much hope that 2021 will be a better, more prosperous year. All being well, the Flat turf season will start in April. 

Before that, punters will be using the https://smartbettingguide.com/ to get their bets on for the Cheltenham Festival which starts on Tuesday 16th March 2021, four days of exceptional horse racing for those who love the best horses for the National Hunt. Big names will be heading to all those races we can't wait to enjoy including the Cheltenham Gold Cup. We will have to cross our fingers that the racecourse is open to racegoers. Perhaps it will be a smaller crowd than the normal hustle and bustle of Prestbury Park. Time will tell. However, unless there is a big shock racing will take place and it should be business as usual. 

A month later, race fans will be looking forward to the Grand National that takes place on the 10th April. We've seen Tiger Roll winning two races on the trot, then a virtual Gran National, which showed we love the real thing. Will Gordon Elliott's gelding match the success of 1970s super horse Red Rum? With a poor run on his return connections have stated that he will be retired if failing to shine. 

In May we will see the first two Classic races of the year with the 1,000 & 2,000 Guineas taking place at Newmarket. 

On June 4th and 5th, the Oaks and Epsom Derby will be on the cards. Who will win this year's race and more importantly will you be on the winner?

Ten days after on the 15th June Royal Ascot will take place. It could well be a change for the pomp and ceremony to take place with a full house. Who knows, even Her Majesty the Queen may be watching from the Royal Box. 

That in itself, would be worth three cheers. 

Later in the season, we will see the remaining Classic race including on the 11th September, punters will be heading to Doncaster for the St Leger. 

After the cloud of Covid 19 chasing the sunshine away from sporting venues the forecast for 2021 may start off with wintry spells, spring showers, a scorching summer of betting and an Indian summer to conclude all the big events. 

Horse racing will see lots of changes in 2021, but the biggest of those will be normality. 

Good luck to all this New Year and let's hope sporting venues hear the voice of spectators ringing loud and true for years to come. 

Fingers crossed.

How to pick the horse for betting, where too bet?

Horse racing fans vary from the beginner to the the expert. 

However, one thing is for certain and that is unlike the old days there are plenty of ways to both pick a horse and places to bet. 

Horse racing covers two codes: The National Hunt and Flat racing. Let's say you bet on a horse called Megapari. You don't here many people talking about this point but if you want to be a successful gambler then you need to find your niche. You may ask why. There simply isn't enough time to cover all different codes and age groups. If you don't believe me then try to do it all. It's possible at the expense of insightful knowledge. If you spread yourself too thin then you are fighting a losing battle. 

You need to know that little more than most - not less. That's the road to Losersville. You don't want to be living in that place for a week let alone a life-time of gambling. That's the residence of your mug punter. Those poor souls who bet 25p each-way on a 100/1 shot because all they have left are distant hopes and dreams of making their betting pay. 

Find your niche and learn everything you can. 

Be the expert.

In the good, old days of gambling you would go to your local bookmakers. You can still do exactly that and place a bet. If you bet in a High Street bookmakers or online, via an app on your phone, then look for the best offers and the best prices for your selection because there is often a difference. Ideally, bet with a bookmaker who offers best odds guaranteed so whether the price is backed or drifts you won't lose out (on price at least).

The alternative to betting with a traditional bookmaker is using a betting exchange. There are plenty of different companies out there but they all work in a similar fashion. Whether you want to bet on a horse to win or a horse to lose this is the place to do your business. It is probably best to start betting with a traditional bookmaker to get a basic understand before moving to the exchanges. 

Another important factor about betting exchange compared to bookmakers is that winning accounts will never be closed. Also, if you bet on horses at big odds you are going to be much better off using the exchanges. 

Either way, you need to spend your time understanding what it takes to be a knowledgeable gambler. If you don't, you will simply be wasting your time and money. The only reason one person wins money gambling while another loses is the understanding which goes into making your horse selection(s). If this isn't done with expertise you have little chance of beating the layers whether bookmaker or exchange. 

Personally, I follow two-year-old horse racing. Most people hate betting this age group because they find it confusing. You know why they find if confusing, because they haven't put in the work to understand.  

Find what you enjoy and use that passion to become an expert. If you don't enjoy what you do you will literally fall at the first hurdle. Winning at anything is about learning from trial and error. It doesn't have to be the most expensive way to learn as you can start by paper trailing your bets. Basically, like betting with matchsticks. 

When you are in profit, start betting with real money and you could well make a decent bit of cash. 

Always bet responsibly and never bet for the buzz. If losing money on a regular basis sounds like fun you need to seriously question what you are doing. 

Good luck. 

Live Streaming Betting Sites – The Exciting Way to Bet

Almost half of the people in the UK bet at some point. Some of these people bet on the Lottery or on casino games. However, sports betting is also a favourite for many. Within this area, race meetings like the Grand National and Royal Ascot attract millions of pounds worth of bets. The amount of money spent betting on horse racing has increased dramatically since the first online bookmaker launched in 1996. 

A relatively new feature has further increased the popularity of online sports betting, as bookmakers now stream sports content live to customers. If you are fond of placing horse racing bets, sites like Unibet give you the opportunity to register an account, place a bet and watch your horse run live, for certain races. 

The advantages of live streaming on betting sites 

The most obvious advantage of watching racing live via a bookmaker is that it adds excitement to your betting. There are also other positives that you can experience. 

Getting an understanding of how horses and jockeys are performing over several days at events like the Cheltenham Festival. This helps to improve the success of your betting as the event progresses. 

Watching racing using a betting app is more affordable than betting online and paying to watch live racing separately.  

Using a betting app means that you can watch live racing wherever you are. You can even watch it while you are on the move. 

Points to consider

If you like the sound of these benefits, there are several points that you should consider when you are looking for a betting site that live streams races. These points include:  

The live streaming options that are available. Not every betting site provides a wide variety of live streaming choices. So, if you enjoy a variety of sports, as well as horse racing, you should make sure that you get access to as much of your favourite action as possible.

Access requirements that are in place. You cannot just go to an online betting site and watch sporting content. You at least need to register an account in order to watch. In the case of horse racing, you will usually have to place a minimum bet if you want to watch a race live. 

Storage space required by an app. Many betting sites use apps to deliver their live streaming content. If this is the case, you need to consider how much storage space the app will take up on your device. 

Security of the site or app. Do not choose to use a betting site or app just because you are attracted to the live streaming. You still need to consider factors such as security. For instance, you should make sure that SSL encryption is in place before you use a betting site.

You can see that using a betting site that live streams horse racing helps to increase the excitement and enjoyment of betting. It’s a great way to enjoy top races as well as hopefully backing the winner if you are lucky.

Jumps Trainers Who Have Dominated Big Races

There are just some high-profile horse races which year in, year out, trainers target and develop fabulous records in them as a result. Such stats are something you need to know before betting, so here are some famous examples. 

King George VI Chase (Paul Nicholls) 

As the feature contest on Boxing Day, the King George VI Chase is a historic race and its rich roll of honour has been enhanced by Paul Nicholls, who has farmed the Kempton Park Grade 1 steeplechase over three miles down the years. 

The winner has come out of his Ditcheat stables a record 11 times since 1997. Among those are some of the modern greats of National Hunt racehorses. Kauto Star won the King George five times on his own, cementing his status as an equine legend.

Nicholls has also trained three other multiple winners in See More Business, Silviniaco Conti and Clan Des Obeaux, who has landed the spoils in each of the last two seasons.  

The latter is 11/4 favourite with some bookmakers for his hat-trick but, as horse racing results on Paddy Power will tell you, Clan Des Obeaux does usually need a run to strip fitter for Kempton.

Christmas Hurdle and Champion Hurdle (Nicky Henderson) 

Some of the top two-mile hurdlers to ever grace the sport have been trained in the horse racing hub of Lambourn at Nicky Henderson's Seven Barrows yard. For evidence of that, look no further than his superb record in two Grade 1 contests - the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and the Cheltenham Festival's Champion Hurdle. 

Dealing with the Christmas Hurdle first, Henderson has had a record nine successes this century. Seven of those have come in the last decade with Binocular doubling up in 2010 and 2011. Henderson's victories have often been for leading Irish owner JP McManus in both the Christmas and Champion Hurdle.

Binocular, Buveur D'Air and Epatante managed to double up in the same season. Henderson has trained the Champion Hurdle winner eight times with See You Then hitting a hat-trick in the mid-1980s. 

There was a 22-year gap before the stable added another success following that, but in recent times this yard has been the one to follow. Epatante and Buveur D'Air may meet in the 2021 Champion Hurdle after the latter returned to training after suffering a freak injury in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle last winter. 

Champion Bumper (Willie Mullins) 

A championship National Hunt Flat race, colloquially called a bumper, was added to the Cheltenham Festival programme in 1992. Since 1996, master Irish trainer Willie Mullins has farmed this race. 

He has saddled 10 different horses to Champion Bumper glory, and the race has launched the career of many stars of the sport. Florida Pearl took the spoils in 1997, with Champagne Fever also on the roll of honour in 2012. 

The Mullins stable has done particularly well with five-year-olds in the race with nine of its winners being that age. There will definitely be something in the yard out this winter that will have the aim of adding more Champion Bumper glory in 2021.