The King George is turning from a Christmas cracker into a humbug affair - but this horse would be perfect for Kempton
A few weeks ago the race I was most looking forward to all season was the King George VI Chase at Kempton. Not so much now. If things carry on the way they are, I'm not sure I'll get up from the Christmas dinner leftovers on Boxing Day.
The star-quality horses have been dropping like flies or fluffing their lines in a massive way. Until the John Durkan is run at the weekend and Willie Mullins makes his Christmas plans clearer, almost all the life has been sucked out of the ante-post market.
In France on Sunday, Il Est Francais looked good for about a mile but a huge lummox for the next mile before he was pulled up. That's twice now he's looked nothing like the horse who dominated the Kauto Star Novices' Chase on the King George card last year when he completed the three miles much faster than it took Hewick in the big race later in the day.
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Published on inTom Segal
Last updated
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- Last season's novice hurdlers weren't a great bunch - and this Cheltenham winner is no value for a March repeat
- Last season's novices look a stellar bunch - the 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup now has all the hallmarks of a potential classic
- Al Dancer proved front-runners can gain a big advantage in staying chases - but everything changes on testing ground