The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a distance of about 3 miles (4,828 metres), and during its running there are eighteen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year, usually on December 26, and features as part of the William Hill Winter Festival.
The event was first run in February 1937, and it was named in honour of the new British monarch, King George VI. It was only run twice before World War II, during which Kempton Park was closed for racing and used as a prisoner-of-war camp. The two pre-war runnings were each contested by four horses. The winner of the first, Southern Hero, remains the race's oldest ever winner. After the war the racecourse re-opened, and the event returned in 1947 on a new date – Boxing Day.
The King George VI Chase is now the second most prestigious chase in England, surpassed only by the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Twelve horses have won it more than once, Desert Orchid has won it four times and Kauto Star has won it five times.
Famous quotes containing the words king, george and/or chase:
“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England, too.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“If you’re looking for my fingerprints, you’re a little early!”
—Robert Pirosh, U.S. screenwriter, George Seaton, George Oppenheimer, and Sam Wood. Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush (Groucho Marx)
“The New York action painters want their pictures to jump off the walls and chase you down the street.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)