King George VI Chase: the key pointers and quotes ahead of the big race

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1) | 3m | 4yo+ | ITV/RTV

Clan the man again?

Legendary pair Kauto Star and Desert Orchid are the most famous examples of how the King George can play to the strengths of those trained for a repeat win in the race, and Clan Des Obeaux's two victories in Britain's best Grade 1 chase outside the Cheltenham Festival place him in elite company.

A third triumph will mean he equals Wayward Lad, with only Kauto (five wins) and Dessie (four) ahead. There is every chance it will come off and the stats provide compelling evidence.

Owned by trainer Paul Nicholls' landlord Paul Barber, his yard sponsor Ged Mason and Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson, Clan Des Obeaux, who lost little when second to Haydock ace Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase a month ago, went chasing in 2016 and is unbeaten on the second start of each season since, while he is 4-7 on right-handed tracks against 2-12 the other way round.

Sam Twiston-Davies and Paul Nicholls were reunited in glory thanks to Clan Des Obeaux's victory in the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

His impressive King George romps support those figures and Nicholls, seeking an extraordinary 12th win in the race, said: "He had a little overreach when he trod on himself at the start at Haydock, but it was superficial and he's not missed any work at all – he's absolutely A1.

"He's come out of the race well and it was probably a career-best for him first time out. It was a good run and I've been very happy with everything since.

"I think he was fairly ready for Haydock. The run might have brought him on a little bit, but the heavy ground beat him more than fitness that day."

'Cyrname needs to be fit and fresh – and he is'

Cyrname looked to have the world at his feet when defeating the mighty Altior in last season's epic 1965 Chase at Ascot, but that effort left a mark and things began to unravel when he headed to the King George as Nicholls' first string on jockey bookings and the market.

Harry Cobden's mount had no answer to stablemate Clan Des Obeaux, who will again be joined on Saturday by Sam Twiston-Davies.

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A horror fall in February's Ascot Chase was another negative step, but Nicholls, as is so often the case, worked his magic and Cyrname was an easy winner of the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby this autumn, delivering a performance in line with the BHA handicapper's assessment that he is Britain's leading chaser.

"I'm very happy with him," said the 11-time champion trainer. "He needs to be fresh, which he was when he won the Charlie Hall. That was just what we wanted and he's had a nice gap since.

"He's very well and I'm happy with his prep, which is completely different from last year, and that will be a big plus for him. He needs to be very fresh and very fit, and that's exactly where he is."

Santini 'sharper' for Kempton test

Nicky Henderson has received some flak for the way he has campaigned stable star Altior this term, but the champion trainer threw a curveball this week when Santini, owned by Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes, was supplemented for the King George at a cost of £5,000.

That sum will hardly break the bank, but it was a bold move and one not necessarily on the first page of the Seven Barrows training manual, especially as Kempton has never been considered an ideal track for the Cheltenham Gold Cup second.

Billy Aprahamian feels the power of the strapping Santini on Nicky Henderson's Lambourn gallopsCredit: Edward Whitaker

His third to La Bague Au Roi and Topofthegame on this card's Kauto Star Novices' Chase two years ago was a fine effort, however, and the strapping eight-year-old will likely strip fitter from his second in the Many Clouds Chase, when low sun meant nine of the 19 fences were omitted – something that will have compromised Santini's claims given his accurate jumping.

Henderson, a King George winner with Long Run (2010 and 2012) and Might Bite (2017), said: "I'd love Santini to win, of course, but there's really nothing else for him to do. He thrives on work and racing. He loves it.

"He wants plenty of racing and he was very sharp when we schooled him on Wednesday morning – much sharper than he was before Aintree. If he wasn't racing he'd get bored. The next possible race for him is the Cotswold Chase at the end of January, and there's no reason he can't run there too."

Santini needs to finish fifth or better to cover the £5,000 entry fee in the prestigious Grade 1, which boasts a prize pot of £204,000.

Far from a lost cause

This winter has not been the most fruitful for the Colin Tizzard outfit and the heavy defeat of the yard's leading horse Lostintranslation in Haydock's Betfair Chase last month was not what connections anticipated.

Tizzard, his son and assistant Joe, and the trainer's late daughter Kim Gingell, who died of cancer in May, have built the stable into one of Britain's most capable and they are banking on kinder conditions at Kempton rejuvenating the talented eight-year-old.

Lostintranslation oozed class in last year's Betfair Chase before flopping in the King George and then rebounding with a smart third to Al Boum Photo in the Gold Cup.

"He should have his perfect ground," said Joe Tizzard. "He seems in lovely form since Haydock. That was a flat run and we think it was mainly due to the ground.

"This looks a competitive King George, but on the form of his Gold Cup run he'd definitely be in the mix. We think he's in great nick at home and, as he's got his ground now, we're really looking forward to running him."

What they say

Tom George, trainer of Black Op
His run at Carlisle was good and he was going into unknown territory in the Ladbrokes Trophy and didn't see the trip out. He was second in the Kauto Star a year ago and he's beaten a few of these at one time or another, including Lostintranslation when he won his Grade 1 at Aintree. He's an outsider, but he's a very good horse and we think he's worth his chance.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Frodon and Real Steel
Frodon always runs well at Kempton but has got it to do on all known form. He'll give a good account of himself and you can put a line through his last run when they took out the jumps at Aintree because of the low sun, which was a waste of time for him. Real Steel had to give weight to everything in the 1965 Chase, which was his first run of the season and first for us. He ran well and will improve for that run. He has to improve on form but could run into a place.

Harry Whittington, trainer of Saint Calvados
He would have run in the Betfair Chase but for a leg infection the week before and he's trained well since. It's a new trip, but Kempton's three miles will be easier then Haydock's three miles and a furlong, and we ride him very differently these days to how we used to. Although he hasn't run since Cheltenham, he's very easy to get fit and he's won first time out every season for us and before that in France, although not in a race of this calibre obviously. He's schooled really well and I'm very happy with him.

Ruth Jefferson, trainer of Waiting Patiently
He's very well. We took him for an away-day and Brian Hughes has been very happy with his schooling. We couldn't see a lot of races before Kempton that weren't getting too close to the King George and I think he's going there in as good a form as he did two years ago. He's shown he's fast enough for two miles and I can't guarantee he'll stay, but he's won on bottomless ground at Ascot over two-miles-five.

Read our Boxing Day previews . . .

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Members' Club: reasons to believe Cyrname can reverse Clan form – expert King George analysis

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1.50 Kempton: 'On his hurdles form he'd be a strong favourite' – If The Cap Fits excites Fry

2.25 Kempton: 'It will take something remarkable for Epatante to get beat in Christmas Hurdle'

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2.05 Wetherby: A weak Rowland Meyrick? Don't believe it, there is plenty to learn

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2.35 Limerick: No Leopardstown for Townend as he eyes Grade 1 with Asterion Forlonge

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