'Hugely talented' French chaser set to be supplemented for King George

Fresh from landing the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle with Jet Blue last Saturday, Chantilly-based trainer David Cottin is planning an even more audacious return to Britain, as he is set to take aim at the £250,000 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase with Grade 1-winning chaser Juntos Ganamos.

Cottin will supplement the five-year-old on Friday at a cost of £4,500, with regular jockey Felix de Giles booked to head to Kempton on Boxing Day.

Juntos Ganamos has already won more than €700,000 in prize-money and performed heroics to be third behind Gran Diose in the Grade 1 Prix la Haye Jousselin last month after forfeiting lengths and momentum with a bad error at a crucial late stage of the race.

"He’s recovered well from his race in the Haye Jousselin and all the lights are green to run," said Cottin. "He lost a lot of ground and ran an exceptional race to get back to challenge up the straight. He's a horse with a huge amount of talent."

Felix de Giles and Juntos GanamosCredit: Racing Post/Burton

It is undoubtedly a frustration to Cottin that Juntos Ganamos has not added to his top-level success in the Prix Ferdinand Dufaure in the spring of his four-year-old season, failing to complete in both the Prix Maurice Gillois and this year's Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris. 

The Martaline gelding finds life almost too easy and occasionally loses concentration, so Cottin is looking forward to the different challenge that Kempton will pose on what will be his first start anywhere other than at the temple of French jump racing.

"I’ve been waiting a long time to run him somewhere other than Auteuil and he's a horse with a lot of stamina so I can’t wait to see him run," said Cottin. 

"This race has been in his programme for a while which is why he’s only run twice during the autumn."

Cottin also gave a positive update on Jet Blue, who will go straight to the festival off the back of his six-and-a-half-length win at Cheltenham.

Jet Blue and James Reveley head up the run-in at CheltenhamCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Jet Blue will head directly to the Grade 1 [Albert Bartlett] and he came out of Saturday in great shape; it’s like he didn’t have a race," said Cottin.  

The five-year-old, who is a 25-1 shot for March, was having his first start for Cottin last weekend after being bought from Hugo Merienne for €220,000. 

Cottin said: "He had a pretty easy time of it, being held up to begin with and then gradually working his way into the race. He’s in great form. He stays very well and is just a very cool horse who we love having around the yard."

King George VI Chase (December 26, Kempton)
William Hill: 7-2 Grey Dawning, 9-2 Banbridge, 5 Spillane's Tower, Il Est Francais, 8 Corbetts Cross, Envoi Allen, 10 Hewick, 11 L'Homme Presse, 14 Juntos Ganamos, 16 bar.

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