2025 King George VI Chase – Kempton Park

Below are our free 2025 King George VI Chase tips from WhichBookie tipster Will Smith. Take a look at more of Will’s hot racing tips on our betting tips page and remember to check back soon for the latest free betting tips across a range of sports.

Djelo – 33/1 (Paddy Power or Betfair Sportsbook)

I fully appreciate that locking up your money for 11 months on an ante-post bet is not everyone’s cup of tea, but when you consider it as an investment that may yield a 3,300% return in the space of under a year, then financial traders everywhere would be falling over themselves to offer that kind of return.

Of course, with the kind of investment I’m suggesting, it is maximum risk and so perhaps that’s why many won’t be so keen. But here me out…

When you consider the pool of staying chasers around currently, with the recent evidence of the 2024 King George VI Chase fresh in the memory, then it’s not hard to suggest that having a go at something for the 2025 King George VI Chase at Kempton Park is not a mad idea.

For starters, Galopin Des Champs would be a million-to-one to come over and forego another Savills romp, and the only other Irish horse among the current crop that I think would be potentially suited to the unique nature of the Christmas feature at Kempton Park is Fact To File. A best priced 8/1 for him as things stand is about right, but with so much water to flow under his bridge in the meantime, that makes it more than a little skinny to be locking in now.

The 2024 renewal made it clear that there were only 2 horses to be remotely interested in again for next year, and Banbridge will be a 10-year-old and had everything absolutely in his sweet-spot last month.

While Il Est Francais is still only a 7-year-old, but given they start so much younger in France, and he hardly gives himself an easy time every time he runs – he either busts a gut to produce a massive performance or busts a blood vessel it seems – you can envisage him proving hard to catch right. Not worth long-term propositioning to my eye.

The reason I am suggesting this 1-star * ante-post bet right now is because the horse in question is entered to run in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor’s Berkshire Winter Million meeting on Sunday.

Djelo is 33/1 with Paddy Power or Betfair Sportsbook for the 2025 King George VI Chase, and for all that I don’t think Windsor is his ideal track on Sunday, you can see him running extremely well and the 33/1 being clipped slightly.

As explained before his romp in the Peterborough Chase in early December 2024, Djelo faced his optimum set of conditions that day and duly produced a career best performance. It was not hard to muse whether he may have been worth supplementing for the 2024 King George on the back of that. But connections resisted the urge and are clearly playing the long-game with a horse of some considerable potential, and why wouldn’t you.

Djelo has potential to improve again as a ‘7 turning 8’-year-old next season, and potential to improve even more up to 3m. When you consider he is now rated 160, and Banbridge is on 168, it is by no means an insurmountable gap on the current champion.

Djelo has run right through the line on all his tries at around 2m4f, just on occasions it has been behind something better suited and more mature on the day. He is slightly better on a right-handed track, and the unique test of the King George VI Chase is absolutely tailor-made for Djelo’s attributes.

Nimble, fast, fluent-jumping, an ability to handle most ground and a pedigree that suggests he will stay every yard (and even improve for it) – there is simply nothing to me that suggests the 2025 King George VI Chase shouldn’t be the ultimate aim for Venetia Williams likeable and high-quality Djelo.

Locking in 33/1 each-way with Paddy Power or Betfair Sportsbook makes a large amount of sense to me.