The resumption of racing continues on Boxing Day, with the highlight of the Christmas period the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

The running of the race looks set to be the most cosmopolitan ever with the 11-strong field for the three-mile contest set to include three runners from France and four from Ireland, with Spillane’s Tower heading a strong Irish challenge.

Two of the three French raiders are trained by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm with the early favourite in the market II Est Francais along with outsider General En Chef.

II Est Francais is certainly no stranger to Kempton Park, having won the Grade One Ladbrokes Kauto Star Chase back in 2023.

Another French hope is Juntos Gananmos who was supplemented for the big race at a cost of £4,600 and is trained by Frenchman David Cottin.

Among the four representatives from Ireland is Corbetts Cross. Owned by JP McManus, the seven-year-old won last season’s Grade Two National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

If the horse lines up for the race it will be trainer Emmet Mullins’ first runner in the King George, however with the ground drying out and the possibility of the ground not being far away from Good ground, Mullins may withdraw the horse in favour of the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The King George VI Chase isn’t the only big race of the afternoon at the Sunbury-on-Thames track. There is a mouthwatering prospect in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle with both Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth among four declarations for the Grade 1.

Constitution Hill will be putting his eight-race unbeaten record under rules on the line in a race he won last season when last seen at a race track.

Lossiemouth has the benefit of a recent run having got the better of Teahupoo in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse this month.

In other racing news as we come to the end of the year, there has been plenty of landmarks with trainer Tony Carroll having trained his 100th winner in a calendar year for the first time ever.

Jockey Luke Morris brought up his century of winning rides after Second Collection prevailed at Wolverhampton last week.

Another centurion was Kieran Shoemark who was aboard Currumbin at Southwell before steering Charlie’s Choice to victory.

One of the flat jockeys of the Calander year has to be Rossa Ryan. The Irishman has had a phenomenal 2024 with a four-timer at Wolverhampton last week securing his 200th winner of the year.

Trainer Alison Thorpe celebrated her first winner for 12-and-a-half years when Karuma Grey won at 100-1 at Ffos Las under jockey Shane Fenelon.

A favourite for this week’s Coral Welsh Grand National Mr Vango has been ruled out of the race by his trainer Sara Bradstock. Following a successful reappearance in the London National at Sandown, a gap of 20 days was deemed too short by Bradstock.

Jockey Lorcan Williams was handed a 14-day ban after using his whip four times above the permitted level on Captain Bellamy who took the two-and-a-half mile novice hurdle at Newbury recently. The five-year-old has subsequently been disqualified and lost the race as a result of William’s overuse of the whip.

By Peter Moore