Royale Pagaille ruled out of King George with 'minor issue' but L'Homme Presse set to take his chance for Venetia Williams

Royale Pagaille has been ruled out of the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase for the second successive year due to a "minor issue".

The dual Betfair Chase winner was a late absentee from the Kempton contest last year due to a sore foot and will not take part in this year's Boxing Day feature after failing to please Venetia Williams in the build-up to the event. 

The trainer, who saddled her latest big winner with Victtorino at Ascot on Saturday, will still be represented in the race by L'Homme Presse, who hasn't been seen since finishing fourth in the Gold Cup in March.

"L'Homme Presse runs but I don’t think we’re going to take Royale Pagaille due to a minor issue," she said. "We’ve had a little bit of a hold up, so it was going to be a bit tight. The ground isn't going to be in his favour anyway, so we’ll go straight for the Peter Marsh, which will be a lot more up his street. 

"It’ll give us another three weeks, which will work very well. It’s going to be good ground at Kempton and L'Homme Presse could have done with a bit more rain. However, all being well, he’ll go there."

Royale Pagaille defeated Bravemansgame by six and a half lengths in last year's Betfair Chase, but ran just once more last season when falling at the last in the Cotswold Chase in January.

L'Homme Presse: will be Venetia Williams' sole runner in the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The fall saw the ten-year-old sustain an injury which ruled him out of action until last month's Betfair Chase, in which he battled on dourly to deny Grey Dawning. In winning, he became the fifth horse to land more than one running of the race.

Royale Pagaille is already a dual winner of the Peter Marsh Chase, having denied marks of 156 and 163 in 2021 and 2022 respectively. This time he will head to Haydock on January 18 off a rating of 166.

L'Homme Presse remains a general 16-1 chance for the King George having fallen at the final fence in 2022.

Grey Dawning heads the betting for jump racing's midwinter showpiece at 100-30, with the supplemented Spillane's Tower and Il Est Francais next best at 4-1.

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Kempton, Thursday)
Sponsors: 100-30 Grey Dawning, 4 Il Est Francais, Spillane's Tower, 5 Banbridge, 8 Envoi Allen, 10 Corbetts Cross, 12 Hewick, 14 The Real Whacker, 16 bar.

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