Clan Des Obeaux romps home for second King George
You can read a full report here
King George VI Chase (3.05) result
1 Clan Des Obeaux (Sam Twiston-Davies) 11-2
2 Cyrname (H Cobden) 5-4 Fav
3 Footpad (B J Geraghty) 13-2
5 ran
Also: 28-1 Aso 4th
Updated
King George VI Chase (3.05)
Aso takes the lead with Cyrname under restraint in second ... Footpad is last of five in the early stages ... no change in the order but Aso a little untidy before the open ditch ... they are all good over that particular test ... Cyrname takes over ... and goes into the home straight for the first time in the lead ... a circuit to go and Aso and Cyrname get a roar as they go past neck and neck at the front of the King George field as they go past the stands ... Cyrname puts in two great leaps and takes a clear lead ... and the leader presses on with a good leap ... Clan Des Obeaux goes into second ... Lostintranslation makes a slight mistake ... another mistake by Lostintranslation ... Cyrname from Clan Des Obeaux and Lostintranslation is pulled up ... Clan Des Obeaux goes into the lead and races clear for a very easy win.
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Espatante new favourite for Champion Hurdle
Epatante proved herself a mare out of the very top drawer with a hugely impressive display in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. Silver Streak was second, Ballyandy was third and Verdana Blue finished fourth.
Trainer Nicky Henderson said: “I’ve got to say I was a Fusil Raffles fan, but she [Epatante] was impressive. I’ve even got to admit it myself – she was very good. We’ve come straight from the Gerry Feilden at Newbury, which was a handicap. I wanted to go to Ascot last weekend, but JP wanted to come here and he was absolutely dead right.
“Going into Cheltenham last season I thought she was our best chance in the mares’ novice, but she didn’t run her race. She had done everything right up until then and has done everything right since.”
Paddy Power make Epatante their 7-2 favourite (from 16-1) for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March. Henderson added: “She is lovely and has a great temperament with a lovely attitude and she is a great jumper. I saw Barry for 30 seconds after the race and I said, ‘what next?’. He said ‘win the Champion Hurdle’, so I suppose that is what I better do! “Does she need to do any more before then? I don’t know. We will think about it.” PA Media
Updated
Faugheen rolled back the years to add a Grade One triumph over fences to his list of major achievements when winning the Matchbook Betting Exchange Novice Chase at Limerick. Nine times victorious at the top level over the smaller obstacles, the 2015 Champion Hurdle hero showed he was still a formidable force – just days short of turning 12 years old – to lower the colours of another star name in Samcro.
Faugheen enjoyed himself out in front in the hands of Patrick Mullins, but his market rival was never too far away. Tintangle tried to keep tabs on the big two, but fell five fences from the finish, leaving the market principals to fight it out.
There was little between the pair until the second-last fence, where Samcro was put under pressure but could not respond. Faugheen, trained by Willie Mullins, jumped the last two obstacles in great style and pulled clear to win by 10 lengths. Castlebrook Lad was 22 lengths back in third place.
Mullins was at Kempton to see Footpad finish third in the King George VI Chase - and nominated the Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown in early February as the likely next target for Faugheen.
He said: “To go toe-to-toe with Samcro over the last six furlongs was very good. He did what he always does, in that he gallops and jumps. It is special to win a Grade One over fences with an 11-year-old as very few horses attempt it, but he hasn’t much mileage on the clock and to me it is about mileage rather than age. He is well up to it as he is fresh and well, more so than last season.
“Three-mile hurdling is just very hard on horses. Chasing is much easier on him and he is enjoying himself. I’ve not had chance to talk to Patrick yet, but they seemed to get on like a house on fire.”
He added: “We are delighted to get as far as we have with him. We will look forward to the Dublin Racing Festival now, where I’d imagine he will go for the two-mile-five novice chase. That will be the race for him and we will just keep it simple.” PA Media
Updated
King George VI Chase (3.05) betting
- 11-8 Cyrname
- 2-1 Lostintranslation
- 6-1 Clan Des Obeaux
- 15-2 Footpad
- 33-1 Aso
King George VI Chase (3.05) preview
The King George VI Chase, more than any other major jumps race, achieves an impressive balance in demanding both speed and stamina from its contenders, making it tricky to choose between the claims of Cyrname and Lostintranslation, both tackling the race for the first time. But the impression remains that Cyrname did not want to go much further when he triumphed over Altior last month and the extra three furlongs he faces at Kempton will be a serious test for a headstrong animal.
Some have questioned whether Lostintranslation (3.05) has the pace to cope well with a strongly run King George but he regularly ran well at shorter trips last season, against a horse who is now a top-class two-miler. His superb fencing will help him and it is easy to imagine him outstaying most of these rivals in the straight. Thistlecrack, his stablemate at Colin Tizzard’s yard, can also go well. Clan Des Obeaux has something to prove after three consecutive defeats but these conditions certainly showed him to advantage a year ago.
Christmas Hurdle (2.30) result
1 Epatante (B J Geraghty) 2-1 Jt Fav
2 Silver Streak (Adam Wedge) 11-1
3 Ballyandy (Sam Twiston-Davies) 14-1
10 ran
Also: 2-1 Jt Fav Fusil Raffles, 7-1 Verdana Blue 4th
Updated
Christmas Hurdle (2.30)
Elixir De Nutz leads ... Ballyandy is close up with Fusil Raffles just behind ... Epatante is making good progress ... Verdana Blue makes her challenge ... Epatante has quickened up extreme,y well and is the most impressive winner of the day. That puts her bang in the Champion Hurdle picture.
Updated
Notebook pens Leopardstown victory
Notebook continued his unbeaten record over fences with a convincing victory in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Having won twice at Punchestown, Notebook had no trouble stepping up to Grade One company, in the process taking the scalp of Fakir D’oudairies and Laurina.
Given a confident ride by Rachael Blackmore, Notebook (7-1) travelled well throughout the race as Djingle set the pace. Making her move after the third-last fence, Blackmore sent Henry de Bromhead’s six-year-old to the front at two out, from Royal Rendezvous and Fakir D’oudairies. Those two got close, which resulted in Mark Walsh briefly losing an iron on the latter.
Notebook was gone and went on to score by a length and a half from Fakir D’oudairies, while Laurina never got into it and was a big disappointment. It was a big-race double for Blackmore and De Bromhead following the success of Aspire Tower in the Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle. Notebook was slashed in price to 5-1 for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival with Betfair and RaceBets. PA Media
Updated
Christmas Hurdle (2.30) preview
Fusil Raffles has been the talking horse at Seven Barrows but the form of his Wincanton win last month is not the strongest on offer here. He will face a stern challenge from his stablemate Epatante, so impressive in landing the Gerry Feilden and disappointing only at Cheltenham since arriving from France.
Rowland Meyrick Chase (2.10 Wetherby) result
1 Top Ville Ben (Thomas Dowson) 3-1 Fav
2 Didero Vallis (Miss L M Turner) 5-1
3 Lake View Lad (Henry Brooke) 6-1
10 ran
Also: 20-1 Wakanda 4th
Rowland Meyrick Chase (2.10 Wetherby)
Lachlan Bridge hardly got going and doesn’t look interested ... and is pulled up for fourth time running ... Didero Vallis has the lead up front ... Rocco has been jumping sketchily ... Jonniesofa takes a prominent position and now leads ... Top Ville Ben is in second ... and now goes up to take the lead ... Guitar Pete makes a mistake ... Top Ville Ben still leads on the home turn ... Bennys King is being pushed along ... Top Ville Ben jumps well over the fences in the home straight and kicks clear to win in good style.
Updated
Rowland Meyrick Chase (2.10 Wetherby) preview
An 11lb rise is not to be sneered at but Bennys King impressed in pulling clear of a packed field for the Peter O’Sullevan Memorial last time. He was short of peak fitness on his only defeat since joining Dan Skelton and can improve again for this step up in distance. Skelton won this race two years ago.
Kauto Star Chase (1.55) result
1 Slate House (R M Power) 3-1
2 Black Op (J J Burke) 9-4 Fav
3 Danny Whizzbang (Sam Twiston-Davies) 6-1
7 ran
Also: 10-1 Jarveys Plate 4th
Updated
Kauto Star Chase (1.55)
Master Tommytucker leads in the early stages from Black Op ... The Mighty Don is third ... Slate House is towards the rear ... A circuit to go ... no big mistakes or change in the order ... slight mistake by Black Op .... Redzor now in trouble and The Mighty Don has fallen ... Master Tommytucker still jumps well in the lead ... Redzor is pulled up ... Slate House goes well ... Now Master Tommytucker has fallen ... Black Op and Slate House turn into the home straight ... Slate House takes the lead ... Black Op fights back and they get close in the closing stages but Slate House passes the line in the lead.
Updated
Over at Leopardstown, Aspire Tower moved towards the head of ante-post lists for the JCB Triumph Hurdle following a dominant front-running display at Leopardstown imn the Grade Two Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle.
Paddy Power cut Henry De Bromhead’s youngster to 7-1 from 20-1 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, making him the joint-favourite with Gary Moore’s Goshen. De Bromhead said: “I thought he did it really impressively. He went a really good gallop and jumped great. The Grade One back here in February is an obvious race to go for, but we’ll talk to the owners and see what they want to do.”
Kauto Star Novice Chase (1.55) preview
Paul Nicholls fields two hugely promising youngsters for this renewal of the Kauto Star, but Master Tommytucker and Danny Whizzbang lack the experience of a couple of their rivals and that may tell. Black Op gave Champ a run for his money at Newbury and is respected but Tizzard’s Slate House is hard to get away from. He seemed on the point of winning Cheltenham’s BetVictor Gold Cup Chase when knuckling over two-out last month and that is classy form in this context.
Ladbrokes Chase (1.20) result
1 Commanche Red (P J Brennan) 4-1
2 Simply The Betts (G Sheehan) 5-1
3 On The Slopes (Adam Wedge) 9-1
11 ran
Also: 3-1 Fav Roll Again, 20-1 Mr Mcgo 4th
Updated
Ladbrokes Chase (1.20)
Front-runner Roll Again takes an early lead ... Doctor Dex (!) is being pushed along already between the first two fences ... Hold The Note is in second ... Doctor Dex still struggling ... Mile House is doing even worse ... Envoye Special has moved up closer ... Roll Again is down and Hold The Note is badly hampered and has no chance ... and has now been pulled up ... Mr Mcgo takes the lead ... Envoye Special is now going backwards ... On The Slopes is catching up but Comanche Red now flies through to take a clear lead and is going well clear. Comanche Red wins easily with Simply The Betts runnin gon for second.
Updated
Ladbrokes Chase (1.20) preview
It has been a quiet start to the season for Tom George, at least until Saturday’s Grade One triumph, but Doctor Dex has been serving him well and can do so again here. He bumped into a rival running the race of their life when second here last month, a race in which he was the only hold-up runner to make much impact. This hotter contest may work out better for him.
They’re off for the first race at Kempton and you will be glad you’re on the sofa!
Horrific conditions at Kempton 🌧 pic.twitter.com/ESfuxgGE0F
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) December 26, 2019
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Sad news in northern racing circles that the jockey Colin Hawkins has passed away. He was on board the first horse past the post in the 1983 Cheltenham Gold Cup NOT trained by Michael Dickinson, who famously sent out the first five home. Hawkins’ best-known success was on Fighting Fit in the 1970 Scottish National.
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Proceedings get underway at Kempton in a quarter of an hour and you’ll want to know what to back in the big TV races today. Chris Cook thinks Lostintranslation can triumph in the King George, and you can ready why in his guide to the televised contests here.
The racing is now underway and there are ten meetings in total today, as well as the rest of the holiday action to follow starting with the Welsh National tomorrow. Let Chris Cook be your guide to the thrills and spills expected over the next week.
It’s started persisting down at Kempton. Barney Clifford, the clerk of course at the track, has just told Racing TV that there could be another 3-5mm between now and the big race.
The rain has arrived @kemptonparkrace just the 5 in #KingGeorge no thistlecrack. I think clan des obeaux can defend crown @TheJockeyClub pic.twitter.com/a9htDHOPmf
— rupert bell (@Rupertbell) December 26, 2019
The King George is the best jumps race of the year and the contest which almost always decides who is the supreme staying chaser. Since the 1960s the roll call of winners has been littered with the names of champions and multiple winners. I argued here at the start of the century about its superiority over the Gold Cup in revealing the best chasers.
Analysis by betting comparison site Bookmakers.TV has revealed that that trend is till the same and you should definitely be looking to the fancied horses in the today’s Kempton highlight. “The King George has been a far kinder race to favourites over the years bringing the average SP down to around half that of Cheltenham’s showpiece. While there have been plenty of more interesting results in the Cotswolds of late – excluding last year’s Boxing Day upset – the data suggests punters should focus squarely on the top of the market in a bid to find the winner today.”
It’s doubtful that may of the racegoers packing into Kempton Park today know the track is still under threat from the developers. Greg Wood wrote about the situation in November. As he pointed out: “on 10 January [2020], we will reach the second anniversary of the announcement by Jockey Club Racecourses (JCR) that it plans to sell Kempton for housing, switch the King George to Sandown Park and build a new all-weather track on the Club’s home turf in Newmarket.” And it is still in fdanger. You can read the full story here:
Altior setback rules him out of Kempton
There will be a big name missing from tomorrow’s Kempton card too as Altior, whose unbeaten record over fences finally came to an end when he was beaten by Cyrname at Ascot in November, will miss his intended run in the Desert Orchid Chase due to a foot abscess.
Altior would have been sure to start at long odds-on for his return to racing at around two miles, the trip at which he compiled a 19-race winning streak over hurdles and fences.
“Unfortunately, Altior will NOT run tomorrow due to an abscess,” Nicky Henderson, his trainer, said on Twitter. “The timing is awful so we may look at the Silviniaco Conti Chase [over two-and-a-half miles] back at Kempton on 11 January.”
Unfortunately #Altior will NOT run @kemptonparkrace tomorrow due to an abscess. The timing is awful so we may look at the Silviniaco Conti Chase (over 2m4f) back at Kempton on January 11th.
— Nicky Henderson (@sevenbarrows) December 26, 2019
Preamble … and Thistlecrack out
It has been a damp start to the day in south-east London and a somewhat disappointing one too following the news that Thistlecrack, last year’s runner-up, has been scratched from the King George VI Chase due to a bruised foot, reducing the big-race field from six to just five.
Thistlecrack was a 16-1 shot and no forlorn hope to add a second King George to his memorable success during his novice season in 2016, but even in his absence, this still promises to be a fascinating renewal of the Christmas showpiece with four of the five remaining runners priced up in single figures.
It is not even possible to say with any certainty whether Cyrname or Lostintranslation will set off as the favourite, and the rain that is forecast for the Sunbury area later in the day could well see punters swinging behind Lostintranslation, currently the 2-1 second-favourite, as Cyrname (11-8) has yet to prove his stamina at today’s three-mile trip.
Clan Des Obeaux is also going to attract plenty of support, not least from those who still have warm memories of backing the 20-1 winner last year, even though Harry Cobden, his rider 12 months ago, has opted to ride Cyrname instead. And then there’s Footpad, an outstanding two-mile novice in 2017-18 but a disappointment since until a return to something like his old form in a weak race at Thurles last time.
All that remains now is to see how much of the forecast rain actually arrives at the track. All the predictions are that this year’s King George will be a wet one, with around 5mm expected between midday and six o’clock. The going is currently soft, good-to-soft in places but if the forecast is anywhere close to correct, it is unlikely to be any better than soft all over by the time of the big race. But it’s a winter sport, and a festive crowd of around 20,000 will no doubt be well insulated against the cold and rain when the five runners to go post just after 3pm.
