The King George VI Chase has been synonymous with Boxing Day at Kempton Park since 1947 but so, too, in recent years has been the name of Paul Nicholls. All told, the reigning champion trainer has won the festive showpiece a record twelve times, including the last three renewals in a row. His two most recent winners, Clan Des Obeaux (2018, 2019) and Frodon (2020) dominate the ante-post market for the 2021 renewal and, at combined odds of around 11/8, at the best prices currently available, it would take a brave man to suggest that the Ditcheat maestro won’t be adding to his winning tally this year.

Of course, Nicholls’ record in the King George VI Chase is thanks in no small part to the exploits of Kauto Star, who won five of the six renewals between 2006 and 2011 and bled from the nose when finishing a well-held third behind Long Run in 2010. Arguably the best steeplechaser since the legendary Arkle, Kauto Star was variously described as ‘most impressive’, ‘magnificent’ and ‘awesome’ in the usually dispassionate in-running comments for three of his victories at Kempton.

However, Nicholls’ story does not start and end with Kauto Star. Long before he became the force majeure he is today, in 1997, Nicholls saddled See More Business to win his first King George VI Chase. See More Business was pulled up, when favourite, in 1998 but, fresh from victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, returned to Kempton in 1999 to win the race again. Likewise, the ‘once in a lifetime’ Kauto Star was followed, two seasons later, by another dual winner, Silviniaco Conti (2013, 2014). Nicholls has made no secret that winning a fifth Cheltenham Gold Cup is his main ambition but, in the meantime, he’ll be doing his best to win an unprecedented thirteeth King George.

Rated 136, Battaash has the distinction of being the highest-rated Flat horse in Europe, according to Timeform. Owned by Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and trained by Charles Hills, in Lambourn, Berkshire, the six-year-gelding was unbeaten in three starts in 2020, winning the Group One King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Group Two King George Stakes at Goodwood and the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes at York. Indeed, the son of Dark Angel – a leading sire of sprinters – was winning the latter contest for the second year running, having previously broken the course record, set by Dayjur in 1990, when impressively beating Soldier’s Call by 3¾ lengths, in a time of 55.90 seconds, in 2019.

All told, at the time of writing, Battaash has won 13 of his 23 starts, including four at the highest, Group One level, and amassed £1,755,420 in win and place prize money. He was a ready, 4-length winner of an ordinary novice stakes race at Bath on his racecourse debut in May 2016, but did not emerge as a top class sprinter until his three-year-old campaign in 2017. That year, he won four of his five starts, including the King George Stakes at Goodwood – a race that he would win for the next three seasons running – and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp, which represented his first victory at the highest level. His first Group One win had appeared only a matter of time after his demolition of 2016 King’s Stand Stakes-winner Profitable at Goodwood; following an impressive 2¼-length victory, winning jockey Jim Crowley likened his previous home work to ‘riding a motorbike up the gallops’.

In Britain, the term ‘Classic’ is used to describe any one of five oldest and most important races in the Flat racing calendar. Those races are, in chronological order, the 2,000 Guineas, the 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and the St. Leger. They became known as ‘Classics’ in 1815, shortly after the inaugural running of the 1,000 Guineas.

The 2,000 Guineas and the 1,000 Guineas are both run over a mile at Newmarket in late April or early May, but the 2,000 Guineas is open to three-year-old colts and fillies, while the 1,000 Guineas is restricted to three-year-old fillies. Similarly, the Oaks and the Derby are both run over a mile and a half at Epsom in June, with the Oaks restricted to three-year-old fillies and the Derby open to three-year-old colts and fillies. The St. Leger, run over a mile and three-quarters at Doncaster in September, is also open to three-year-olds of both sexes although, as is the case with the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby, geldings are excluded.

The 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St. Leger constitute the so-called ‘English Triple Crown’ in horse racing, last won by Nijinsky in 1970. By the same token, the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks and St. Leger consitute the so-called ‘Fillies’ Triple Crown’, last won by Oh So Sharp in 1985.