ITV Racing Boxing Day 2026: Schedule, Races and How to Watch

ITV Racing Boxing Day coverage on Saturday 26 December 2026 is built around the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park, with additional races from Aintree and Wetherby. The King George is scheduled for 14:30, but ITV’s own start time, channel and race list were not published in anything we could verify, so confirm them in ITV’s listings nearer the day.

What is on ITV Racing on Boxing Day 2026?

ITV will show the King George VI Chase Day from Kempton Park, plus races from Aintree and Wetherby. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed this line-up when it reshaped the 2026 Christmas fixture list to give ITV four consecutive days of racing.

The Kempton meeting is the first day of the Ladbrokes Christmas Festival, which Kempton Park stages on 26 and 27 December. The King George is a Grade 1 (top-level) steeplechase, and Paddy Power’s preview gives its start time as 14:30.

At Aintree, the Grade 1 William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle is the feature on the track’s own Boxing Day racecard. At Wetherby, the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, a three-mile Premier Handicap, is the headline race according to British Racecourses’ guide. ITV shows a selection of races at each track, not the whole card.

ITV Racing Boxing Day: start time and channel

ITV has not confirmed its 2026 Boxing Day times in anything we could verify, so treat any exact window you see quoted now as provisional. For reference, in 2025 Horse & Hound reported ITV1 coverage of Kempton, Aintree and Wetherby from 12:30 to 15:00, with the King George at 14:30.

That 2025 pattern gives the best guide to the shape of the afternoon: six ITV races, opening with a Kempton handicap chase and ending with the King George. The table shows what has and has not carried over to 2026.

The 2025 order comes from Betfred’s ITV tips preview, and the three Kempton Grade 1 races from Racing Insider. Note that Aintree’s Formby moved by five minutes between years, so do not assume 2025 times will repeat. Check three things in ITV’s listing close to 26 December:

• Programme start time: this is when coverage begins, not when the first televised race runs.
• Channel: ITV1 carried the main Boxing Day programme in 2025, but confirm it rather than assume.
• Race list: which Kempton, Aintree and Wetherby races ITV has selected.

Our ITV Racing Christmas schedule 2026 page tracks the wider festive run.

The four-day ITV Christmas run, 26 to 29 December

Boxing Day is now the first of four consecutive days of ITV racing. The BHA moved the Kauto Star Chase to 27 December, the Coral Welsh Grand National to 28 December and the Coral Challow Hurdle meeting to 29 December, according to the Racing Post.

This matters if you are using an older guide. The Kauto Star Novices’ Chase used to sit on Boxing Day and no longer does, so a pre-2026 schedule will point you to the wrong day.

Who is favourite for the 2026 King George VI Chase?

Gaelic Warrior, the Willie Mullins-trained Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, has led the ante-post betting (backing a horse before final declarations) in recent weeks. Paddy Power’s September preview noted he finished third in last year’s King George before his Gold Cup win, with stablemate Kitzbuhel, winner of the 2025 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, next in the market.

Market news moves fast. One third-party report in October said Jango Baie and defending champion The Jukebox Man were ruled out, so check the latest declarations rather than relying on any early-season list, including this one.

For context on how the race usually runs, The Punter’s Page reports that only three of the last 12 favourites won, yet seven of the last 12 winners were in the top three of the betting. In practice, a fancied horse with course form is a better pointer than a long shot with one good run.

The race itself is a Grade 1 over about three miles with eighteen fences, first run in 1937. Kauto Star won it five times and Desert Orchid four, which is why it carries the status it does. Weather can interfere: the same source notes the 2010 meeting was abandoned for snow and frost and the race run on 15 January 2011.

How to watch the King George and Boxing Day racing

In the UK, the free option is ITV, either on the TV channel or through the ITVX streaming service. The paid alternatives are Racing TV and Sky Sports Racing, which show more of the card than ITV, though which service carries which track can vary.

Outside the UK, ITVX live racing is generally restricted to UK residents. International viewers should look at Racing TV’s online service or their local rights holder, and check their terms before relying on any workaround.

The UK is on GMT in December, so the 14:30 King George converts as follows:

Betting on Boxing Day racing: each-way and ante-post maths

An each-way bet is two equal bets, one on the horse to win and one to place, and the place part pays at a fraction of the win odds. King George fields are often small, so the number of places paid matters more than the headline price. Bookmakers’ ante-post terms for the race have been quoted at one-fifth the odds for the first three, but terms usually change once the final field is known.

Worked example: £10 each-way (£20 total) on a 5/1 horse, place terms one-fifth the odds, first three.

• If it wins: the win bet returns £60 (£50 profit plus £10 stake) and the place bet pays 1/1, so £20 back. Total return £80.
• If it places but does not win: only the place bet pays, so £20 back against £20 staked. That is break-even.
• If it finishes out of the places: both parts lose, so you are down £20.

Now see what a smaller field does. With the common terms for a field of five to seven runners (the first two paid at one-quarter the odds), the same winning bet returns £60 plus £22.50 from the place part (5/4 on £10, plus the £10 stake), so £82.50. A placed horse still returns £22.50, but a third-placed horse pays nothing. Terms differ between bookmakers, so read them before you bet.

Ante-post bets carry a different risk. A £20 win bet at 5/2, the price Paddy Power showed for Gaelic Warrior in September, would return £70 if he won. If he does not line up at Kempton, the stake is generally lost, whereas a bet placed on the day is normally refunded on a non-runner.

For the basics, read our each-way betting guide and horse racing odds guide. Our page on extra place races covers how bookmakers sometimes pay more places, and the Rule 4 calculator shows how withdrawals cut your returns.

Where to find ITV Racing tips for Boxing Day

ITV’s presenters and pundits give their selections on air, and we summarise them in ITV Racing tips today and ITV7. For background on one of the regular voices, read our profile of Kevin Blake.

Other places to cross-check: in 2025, Betfair’s Boxing Day cheat sheet set out race-by-race selections from named tipsters including Mark Milligan and Katie Midwinter alongside Timeform verdicts. Comparing two or three sources shows where opinion agrees and where a price may be too short.

Treat a tip as an opinion, not a forecast. Check recent form, the going and trip, and whether the price still looks fair. Our guide on how to read horse racing tips is a sensible starting point.

Plan your Boxing Day viewing

Put 26 December in the diary, then check ITV’s listing in the week before for the confirmed start time and channel. Aim to be tuned in before the programme opens, because the King George’s 14:30 off-time falls well after coverage starts.

If you want races ITV skips, use Kempton’s, Aintree’s and Wetherby’s own racecards. Betting on a busy holiday is easy to overdo, so set a stake limit before the first race and stick to it. Our horse racing betting hub has more guides.

Frequently asked questions

What time is the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day 2026?

The King George VI Chase at Kempton Park is scheduled for 14:30 on Saturday 26 December 2026. Confirm the time on the final racecard, as off-times can change.

What channel is ITV Racing on Boxing Day?

ITV Racing carried its 2025 Boxing Day programme on ITV1, and it also streams on ITVX. Check ITV's 2026 listing for the confirmed channel and start time.

Which races is ITV showing on Boxing Day 2026?

ITV will show racing from Kempton Park, headlined by the King George VI Chase, plus races from Aintree and Wetherby. ITV chooses the exact selection, so check its listing.

Is the Kauto Star Chase still on Boxing Day?

No. For 2026 the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Chase has moved to Sunday 27 December, the second day of Kempton's Christmas Festival.

Can I watch ITV Racing Boxing Day coverage outside the UK?

ITVX live racing is generally limited to UK viewers. Outside the UK, check Racing TV's online service or your local rights holder.

What are the each-way terms for the King George?

Ante-post terms have been quoted at one-fifth the odds for the first three, but terms usually change once the final field is known. Smaller fields often pay only two places, so check the terms on your bet.