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Eleven horses were declared for the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day will feature the highest number of runners for fifteen years after eleven horses were declared for the festive feature on Monday morning.
The supplemented Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane's Tower will be bid to give JP McManus his first victory in the Grade 1 feature, while Corbett's Cross will also carry the famous green and gold hoped silks. The former has topped the betting ever since his supplementary entry last week and will be ridden by retained rider Mark Walsh. The latter, who is trained by Emmett Mullins, will be partnered by leading amateur rider Derek O'Connor.
Spillane's Tower arrives on the back of finishing runner-up to Savills Chase-bound Fact To File, with last year's National Hunt Chase hero Corbett's Cross looking to take a step forward from his second-place finish in a Listed event at Wexford in October.
Henry de Bromhead's evergreen ten-year-old Envoi Allen featured among the declarations after his success in the Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal. The runner-up that day Hewick, who flew late to land the prize in a thrilling renewal twelve months ago, was not declared with connections likely to opt to run over hurdles at Leopardstown later in the week. Banbridge, who was only a length down when unseating at the last in the Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase at Cork, adds further Irish depth for Joseph O'Brien.
Last year's Turners Novices' Chase winner Grey Dawning will lead the four-strong challenge from the home team following his runner-up effort to Haydock specialist Royale Pagaille in the Betfair Chase last month.
Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm will be hoping last year's emphatic Kauto Star Novices' Chase scorer Il Est Francais can bounce back from being pulled up at Auteuil last month. Il Est Francais will lead a three-pronged attack on the King George for France, with David Cottin's Juntos Ganamos and General En Chef adding further spice from across the channel as they bid to become the first French-trained winner of the Kempton feature since First Gold in 2000.
2022 winner Bravemansgame will attempt to regain his crown to give Paul Nicholls a record-breaking fourteenth victory in the contest, while Charlie Hall Chase scorer The Real Whacker and L'Homme Presse, who was last seen finishing fourth in the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup, complete the field of eleven.
L'Homme Presse's stablemate Royal Pagaille, who was ruled out on Saturday with a "minor issue", did not declare alongside Ahoy Senor.
