Who remains in contention to run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton?

Sam Twiston-Davies is pinning his hopes of another King George VI Chase (2.30) on the fantastic jumping of Hitman, the horse he rides in the Ladbrokes-sponsored event at Kempton on Monday.

Twiston-Davies won the prestigious Grade 1 in 2019 when he rode Clan Des Obeaux and Harry Cobden – Paul Nicholls' stable jockey – was on Cyrname.

Cobden will partner ante-post favourite Bravemansgame next week, leaving a fine spare for Twiston-Davies.

The exciting L'Homme Presse, Envoi Allen and Ahoy Senor, along with Hitman and Bravemansgame, featured among nine King George confirmations on Tuesday.

Envoi Allen: also in the King George mixCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

In Hitman, Twiston-Davies has a progressive young chaser to ride and he said of last month's Haydock winner: "I've been lucky for the owners [Mason, Hogarth, Ferguson and Done] before, winning both the King George and the Punchestown Gold Cup with Clan Des Obeaux, and it's very kind of them to carry on supporting me, so I'm very grateful for that.

"I thought he was impressive at Haydock. He jumped fantastically and that looks to be one of his biggest assets.

"Yes, he's a young horse who's yet to tackle this trip, but he's really going the right way and I'm excited for it."

The jockey, discussing the race on William Hill's Inside Track preview show, added: "As with any King George, we'll ride the race that's put in front of us. If they're going too quick then you try to slot in a bit further back, but at the same time it's Kempton, where you don't want to be too far back as it's a hard place to make up ground late on."

Kempton also hosts the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (1.55) on its King George bill, which takes centre stage on day one of the ITV Racing Christmas Festival. The sport's new superstar Constitution Hill is set to feature in the 2m Grade 1, while conditions were on Monday described as good to soft with the potential of 20mm to 25mm of rain before the mouthwatering action.

Possible 2022 King George VI Chase runners

Ahoy Senor
Bravemansgame
Eldorado Allen
Envoi Allen
Frodon
Hitman
L'Homme Presse
Millers Bank
Royale Pagaille

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Kempton, December 26)

Ladbrokes: 7-4 L'Homme Presse, 15-8 Bravemansgame, 9-2 Hitman, 8 Envoi Allen, 16 Eldorado Allen, 18 Frodon, 20 bar

How the big races are shaping up

Confirmations for Boxing Day Grade 1s were revealed on Tuesday – here's an overview of how the big races are shaping up . . .

12.45 Kempton
Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle (Grade 1), 3m½f

Ladbrokes: 9-4 Champ, 3 Miranda, Paisley Park, 4 Botox Has, 7 Goshen, 14 Not So Sleepy

Six remain for the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle including the last two winners Champ and Paisley Park. Gary Moore is set to hand Goshen a first start over three miles.

1.20 Kempton
Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase (Grade 1), 3m

Ladbrokes: 11-8 McFabulous, 11-4 Ballygrifincottage, Gelino Bello, 4 Thyme Hill, 13-2 Galia Des Liteaux, 28 Mortlach

Paul Nicholls and Dan Skelton have trained the last two Kauto Star winners and both hold a strong hand again. McFabulous edges stablemate Gelino Bello on official ratings for Nicholls, but the Skelton-trained Ballygrifincottage was impressive at Haydock last time. Thyme Hill adds further class to a select field.

1.55 Kempton
Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1), 2m

Ladbrokes: 1-10 Constitution Hill, 13-2 I Like To Move It, 7 Epatante, Knappers Hill, 10 Sceau Royal, 25 bar

It is impossible to oppose Constitution Hill, the short priced ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle, but up to nine runners could do exactly that at Kempton. They include I Like To Move It, Epatante and Knappers Hill, all rerouted from the cancelled International Hurdle.

Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase (Grade 1), 2m1f

Paddy Power: Evens Fil Dor, 3 Hollow Games, 5 Saint Roi, 8 Dysart Dynamo, Mighty Potter, 12 bar

Willie Mullins has claimed six of the last ten runnings and Saint Roi is set to be his leading chance this time, but runners trained by Gordon Elliott instead dominate the market. Fil Dor is the youngest of the nine entries but favourite, followed by stablemate Hollow Games.

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1), 3m

Ladbrokes: 7-4 L'Homme Presse, 15-8 Bravemansgame, 9-2 Hitman, 8 Envoi Allen, 16 Eldorado Allen, 18 Frodon, 20 bar

L'Homme Presse usurped Bravemansgame as favourite for the centrepiece of Kempton's card on Tuesday with conditions likely to ease before Monday. Paul Nicholls has won 12 King Georges and cannot be discounted, with Hitman and Frodon joining Bravemansgame in a three-pronged attack. Irish raider Envoi Allen is another fascinating contender.

Introducing the ITV Racing Christmas Festival

The ITV Racing Christmas Festival features six days of top-class action on the channel from 12 different tracks in Britain and Ireland between December 26 and January 1.

Some 41 live races will be shown in all, including eight Grade 1s such as the King George VI Chase, with the Welsh Grand National and Cheltenham's New Year's Day card among the big-race highlights across a spectacular six days of racing on terrestrial television across the festive period.

December 26
Kempton: King George VI Chase day
Wetherby: Rowland Meyrick Chase day

December 27
Chepstow: Welsh Grand National day
Kempton: Desert Orchid Chase day

December 28
Leopardstown: Savills Chase day
Leicester

December 29
Leopardstown: Matheson Hurdle day
Doncaster

December 31
Newbury, Warwick and Lingfield

January 1
Cheltenham, Musselburgh and Tramore

2022 ITV Racing Christmas Festival offers

• Paddy Power are giving away free bets to new and existing customers, and all you need is an account. Sign up here.
• Sky Bet are offering new customers free bets when they sign up. You can get them, along with money-back specials and extra places, here.
• Betfair have lots of offers, extra places and money-back offers. Sign up for a new account here.
• To get a free bet from Ladbrokes today, simply sign up to a new account here.
• Don't have a Coral account? They have an offer for new customers here.
• bet365 have a new customer offer available. Sign up here.
• New William Hill customers can claim free bets here and benefit from their money-back offers here.
• If you're a new customer, Tote will give you a free bet. Sign up here to claim.

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What's on this Christmas - a full rundown of the festive schedule

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