The look of this year’s King George VI Chase changed radically on Sunday and may do so again on Monday following the news that Coneygree will miss the race. The hero of last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup has disappointed in his recent work and will be saved for another day, it was announced, a decision that caused at least one other horse, Josses Hill, to become an intended runner, with the chance of more to follow.
Ar Mad could yet be ruled back into the King George, having been ruled out a week ago by his trainer, Gary Moore, whose fear was that the horse would face so much competition for the early lead. With Coneygree out, that concern is reduced, though Moore indicated on Sunday night that he was still not keen. Moore is due to discuss plans with Ar Mad’s owner on Monday morning.
“It’s very doubtful, to be quite honest,” Moore said. “I don’t really want to go over three miles for the first time in such a high-class race. If Thistlecrack doesn’t run, it might look like a no-brainer [to run Ar Mad] but I’ve half got other plans for him.”
After the Coneygree news broke, the King George favourite, Cue Card, was cut from 6-4 to a best price of 10-11 by bookmakers. Thistlecrack, his stablemate at Colin Tizzard’s yard, is second-favourite at 3-1 and, again, the absence of Coneygree must make him a more likely runner.
Tizzard declined to reveal his plans when contacted on Sunday night but it is believed that a decision will be revealed on Monday. Last week the trainer said he was worried about the likely strong pace of the King George for Thistlecrack but the race must seem much more tempting without Coneygree in the line-up.
It appears that Valseur Lido, the leading Irish contender according to the betting, will skip the King George in favour of the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown two days later. “The Lexus is our priority,” said Eddie O’Leary, racing manager to Gigginstown, owners of Valseur Lido. O’Leary indicated that Outlander, Road To Riches and Roi Des Francs were possible runners.
Nicky Henderson used Twitter to announce on Sunday night that Josses Hill would be supplemented for the Boxing Day race on Monday at a cost of £10,000. Alan Spence, the horse’s owner, said connections had been “in two minds” until the Coneygree disclosure. Bookmakers cut Josses Hill to a best price of 11-1 from the 20-1 that had been available on Sunday morning.
As a novice chaser two seasons ago Josses Hill was memorably compared to a snooker table by one TV pundit unimpressed by his stiff-backed jumping technique. But he has looked a much more accomplished performer this season and turned in a career best effort at Huntingdon last time, winning the Peterborough Chase by six lengths, carrying more weight than all four rivals. That race, over a flat and right-handed track, has sometimes been used as a prep-race for King George contenders.
Henderson’s immediate reaction that day was to pour cold water on the idea of a King George tilt and he named the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival as Josses Hill’s long-term target. But the horse has won twice at Kempton this year and course officials expect the going will be no worse than good to soft, another point in Josses Hill’s favour.
“The reason he looked so good at Huntingdon was he was beating a lot of stayers over two and a half miles,” Henderson told the Guardian while mulling over the decision early on Sunday. “That’s his distance and every other horse in that race wanted three miles, except Dodging Bullets. If you step up in distance, you risk it going the other way.”
Coneygree is “just not right” according to Sara Bradstock, half of the husband and wife team that trains him near Lambourn. “I just know he’s not himself. We’re not taking any risks. He is fragile and we want him to be completely on song when he runs. We’ll obviously take veterinary advice and then I’m sure the horse will tell us when he’s right again.
“I know every breath he takes, I know every step he takes, I know exactly how he is and he’s just not feeling good. We’re still hopefully on for the Gold Cup and maybe something before that.”
Coneygree was the first novice chaser for 40 years to win the Gold Cup but lost his aura of invincibility last month when soundly beaten by Cue Card in the Betfair Chase. However, that was his first race after a year-long absence caused by a hind leg injury and the expectation had been that he would run to a higher level in the King George, for which he was 5-1 third-favourite.
