King George Chase takes centre stage on Boxing Day and here’s who I’m siding with in the Kempton corker

4 months ago 27

JAMES Brown once told us it’s a man’s world, but at Kempton this afternoon I expect Paul Nicholls to remind us racing is a Bravemansgame.

Hello, everyone, and I hope you had a Yeeehaaa of a Christmas Day!

Will Nicholls’ stable star bounce back in a blockbuster King George?[/caption]

Now, though, your attention will be focused on Kempton, because for fans of jumps racing it’s what Boxing Day is all about.

It’s hard not to remind you straight away that the National Hunt game’s pole star, Constitution Hill, will be strutting his bits at the Sunbury track.

But, of course, the Grade 1 Ladbrokes King George takes centre stage live on the ITV network.

There are two important factors to remember about the King George.

First, more than any other Grade 1 jumps race top class horses tend to win it more than once.

Secondly, champion Paul Nicholls is the absolute master of the event.

The Ditcheat maestro bids for a record 14th success this afternoon, and his victors include multiple scorers in See More Business, Kauto Star, Silviniaco Conti and Clan des Obeaux.

Away from his stable, of the 15 stars to have scored at least twice, racing legends roll off the tongue like Captain Christy, Silver Buck, Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid, The Fellow and One Man.

Last year’s hero Bravemansgame takes on five rivals in the classy line-up numbering dual Ryanair hero and ante-post gamble Allaho and former Supreme, Arkle and Aintree Bowl winner Shishkin.

Also in the line-up is last season’s crack novice The Real Whacker, Gold Cup faller Hewick and another Nicholls raider in 2020 hero but now veteran Frodon.

It’s worth pointing out readers of this column were advised a few weeks ago to take 25-1 about The Real Whacker, so hopefully if you bet sensibly you can have a free wager out of him now he’s down to less than half those odds.

That all said, I expect Nicholls to wave his magic Boxing Day wand over Bravemansgame who is made for the Kempton three miles.

The eight-year-old has always looked best here — he’s also landed a Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at the course — even though his CV includes chasing home Galopin Des Champs in this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

In two runs this term Bravemansgame has been beaten at Wetherby, when he should have won, and at Haydock in soft ground where he didn’t get home against Royale Pagaille. This is his moment.

Allaho, a former RSA and Albert Bartlett third, is a lightly raced machine, and was last beaten in 2021 when second to Chacun Pour Soi over an inadequate two miles at Punchestown.

The worry for him is that it’s second run after a long layoff for Willie Mullins, who took this prize with Florida Pearl and roughie Tornado Flyer.

If there is a doubt about Allaho, then there is an even bigger one over Shishkin, who refused to race in cheekpieces at Ascot.

Nicky Henderson’s class act is so good that he might still score, but it will be one hell of a training performance from the Seven Barrows genius if he can succeed like Long Run and Might Bite did.

The Real Whacker is another who flopped first time this term.

There were reasons for that defeat, and this distance is much more his bag. Rain would help The Real Whacker.

So many questions to answer. But I’ll bet like a brave man.

Constitution Hill takes on five rivals in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle, and few sane observers will consider defeat.

On paper Henderson’s monster has 26lb and more on his rivals, and he will be very short odds to make a winning return after missing the Fighting Fifth.

Nico De Boinville, an absolute class act, is once again on top the six-year-old with Rubaud this biggest danger on paper.

With French ace Il Est Francais up against Hermes Allen in the Kauto Star, it’s a day for Santa Clause to put his feet up, turn on the TV and enjoy after a busy 24 hours.