3 minute read
The festive feature at Kempton looks set to be run on ground officially described as good for the first time in seven years following a long spell of fair weather.
Only six go to post in the three-mile chase run at 2.30, but there's certainly no shortage of talent on show as dual Ryanair hero Allaho bids to ensure last year's winner and Gold Cup runner-up, Bravemansgame doesn't retain his crown. Bravemansgame's stablemate Frodon will be hoping he can roll back the years to when he landed this Grade 1 staying prize in 2020. American Grand National scorer Hewick adds some spice to the contest under the in-form Gavin Sheehan, while the question on everyone's lips this Christmas surely would have been. Will Shishkin start on Boxing Day? Last season's Brown Advisory Novices' Chase winner The Real Whacker completes the line-up.
Not only do we have a festive cracker King George in store, but connections of the world's best hurdler will expect to be business as usual as Constitution Hill returns in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
Three of the best novice chasers go head-to-head in a fascinating Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase, a contest that sees exciting French raider Il Est Francais tackle a strong home contingent of Hermes Allen and Giovinco, who only found the high-class Stay Away Fay too strong last-time-out.
Strong winds delayed the arrival of Hewick via ferry, but the Shark Hanlon-trained representative arrived safe and sound.
Clerk of the course Barney Clifford said: "Shark Hanlon's original ferry was cancelled so he had to go via Dublin in the end.
"They've all been out this morning, the French horse (Il Est Francais), Allaho and Hewick. They all had a little canter.
"We're forecast a couple of millimetres today and we could do with it to counteract yesterday's drying. The going stick is reading 7.2 and that is good, good to soft in places. Those who were on it this morning said it was beautiful.
"We've got a bit of rain coming today which won't have an effect on the ground but then Boxing Day night we could get up to 10 millimetres, it looks like being a wet morning on the 27th so what going we will have then I have no idea.
"The King George is a cracker. Shark Hanlon said to me this morning that all six had a chance, you couldn't rule any out – even Frodon. He's obviously delighted with the conditions because Hewick wants good ground.
"I'm thrilled with conditions, it's all natural, it hasn't been irrigated and I was grateful we got that rain last Tuesday, we got 13 millimetres and it's been slowly drying since – they are nice conditions."
