Sunday: 3.05 Kempton, Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1) | 3m | 4yo+ | ITV/RTV
Bryony Frost lit up an empty racecourse by winning a behind-closed-doors Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Frodon last year – can she do it again now the crowd is back?
Frost and her mount looked better than ever when beating Galvin and Minella Indo at Down Royal in October and Paul Nicholls is full of hope for this return to Kempton.
“Frodon is A1 and has had a good prep,” the trainer said. “He went very nicely at Wincanton last week with Clan Des Obeaux, has schooled well and looks great. He’s ready for his life again. This race and this course suits him. He’s in very good shape.
“He’s got a leading chance. The last time he ran he beat Galvin, who might win the Savills Chase, and the Gold Cup winner. In my eyes that was a career best for him.
“If he’s at the top of his game and he’s improved a bit from last year, which he appears to have done, he’s definitely got an outstanding chance.”
Clan Des Obeaux has had ‘best preparation ever’
Nicholls has changed a winning system in the hope it will help Clan Des Obeaux join a very select band this afternoon.
His high-class chaser won this race in 2018 and 2019 but he believes a hard race at Haydock cost him his chance 12 months ago so has done away with a prep run as he bids to become just the fourth horse with three or more wins, after Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.
“We set out our stall this year not to go to Haydock and run him in the Betfair Chase,” the trainer said. “We thought we’d try and go fresh because last year he had a very hard race in the Betfair Chase and wasn’t quite at his best in the King George.
“He’s had two awaydays. He had a racecourse gallop at Newbury and a gallop at Wincanton last week, he’s done lots of work and I love running horses when they’re very fit and very fresh. The way he looks now I couldn’t be happier with him. I think it will pay off. From his point of view, he’s had the best preparation ever going into the race.”
Clan Des Obeaux bounced back from Kempton to score Grade 1 wins on either side of the Irish Sea in new headgear last spring.
“At Aintree the cheekpieces seemed to sharpen him up a little bit, he’d got into a bad habit of racing a bit lazily,” Nicholls said.
“He was very impressive at Aintree and he beat Al Boum Photo, who’s a dual Gold Cup winner, on his home ground at Punchestown, that was probably a career best. Physically at nine he looks at his best.”
All-conquering Blackmore back for more on Gold Cup winner
As if her year could get any better. Rachael Blackmore bids to round off 2021 with yet another huge triumph on her first ride in the King George VI Chase.
She has already conquered the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National this year and been showered with awards in Ireland and Britain.
Now the jockey, who is usually at Leopardstown on this day, teams up with Minella Indo as he bids to complete a rare double this afternoon.
Her mount won the Gold Cup under Jack Kennedy in March and would be the first Cheltenham winner to follow up at Kempton nine months later since Kauto Star in 2009.
Minella Indo could finish only third behind Frodon at Down Royal but owner Barry Maloney said: “We’re thrilled to be able to go over with Minella Indo this year, especially when the plan to bring Monalee last year was scuppered.
“You’d like to think a reproduction of his Gold Cup run would put him right there in the mix. This will be his first time trying cheekpieces. It was just felt that it might help him focus on that track and it’s not been any harm for him at home over the last couple of days. He’s ready to go and we’re really looking forward to it.”
‘Some day when Asterion gets a clear round he’s going to run a huge race’
For all his dominance at Cheltenham and elsewhere in Britain of late, Willie Mullins has not pulled up any trees at Kempton over recent Christmases.
He has not added to his sole King George VI Chase triumph with Florida Pearl 20 years ago and has had only five runners in the past decade, with his sights more often aimed at Leopardstown at this stage of the season.
But the multiple Irish champion trainer believes Asterion Forlonge is better going right-handed and reckons this offers a good opportunity for the improving grey, who looked to be full of running when he unseated Bryan Cooper three fences from home in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown three weeks ago.
Mullins said: “We bring two over to England, including Asterion Forlonge who was going to run a huge race in the John Durkan. He’s prone to the odd mistake to put himself out of a race and some day when he gets a clear round he’s going to run a huge race. Fingers crossed he’s going to do that at Kempton, which puts him in with a major chance on this type of track which should be in his favour.
“It’s his first time going three miles and that could be a huge asset as there’s plenty of stamina on his dam’s side. Going over this trip might just help improve his jumping a little bit too and he could be a big player over this unknown trip for him.”
On Tornado Flyer, he added: “On paper he has very little chance here; with a bit of luck he might get into some of the small prize-money.”
What they say
Nicky Henderson, trainer of Chantry House and Mister Fisher
Chantry House is in good form. This has always been the plan. It’s a very competitive race, as you’d expect, but we’ll have a go. He’s got pace, which is what you need at Kempton. He schooled very well on Thursday morning. Mister Fisher also schooled well. He’s not had a run so far this season but we’ve got to start somewhere. He wants good ground.
Joe Tizzard, assistant to Lostintranslation’s trainer Colin Tizzard
It was nice to see him back at Ascot and he did it nicely, I think the race has brought him on a bit but he needs to improve again as it’s a competitive King George. He seems in real good nick, he’ll like the ground and we wouldn’t be taking him if we didn’t think he had a chance.
Paul Nicholls, trainer of Saint Calvados
He’s done lots of work, he’s in good shape. He ran very well last year, if he’d jumped the last three fences he’d have gone a lot closer. We’ve done a lot of work on his jumping. I’ve never run him so I don’t know but I’d say he looks good and couldn’t have had a better preparation.
Sunday’s race previews:
1.10 Leopardstown: Triumph favourite Fil Dor puts unbeaten hurdles record on the line in Grade 2
1.20 Kempton: ‘I can’t believe his price’ – quotes and analysis for intriguing novice chase
2.10 Wetherby: famed target trainer could have another lurking in this year’s Rowland Meyrick
2.20 Leopardstown: ‘His form is there for everyone to see’ – Townend has faith in Ferny Hollow
2.30 Kempton: is the Christmas Hurdle the race it was and what will it tell us for Cheltenham?
2.40 Limerick: Farouk D’Alene bidding to be a Christmas cracker again in Faugheen Novice Chase
fonte : RacingPost
