King George will be a cracker even without Sizing John
Might Bite ready for epic clash with Bristol De Mai Tizzard plan to run three in Boxing Day feature
Jessica Harrington may have sent Kempton Park a not entirely unexpected early Christmas message yesterday, but racing’s Boxing Day feature, the 32Red King George VI Chase, nevertheless looks like shaping up into an intriguing contest with Might Bite poised to take on Bristol De Mai and the Colin Tizzard-trained trio of Thistlecrack, Fox Norton and Cue Card.
Although delighted with Sizing John’s impressive winning reappearance in the John Durkan at Punchestown on Sunday, the fact that the two races are only 16 days apart and a trip to Kempton would involve significant travelling, means that Harrington favours staying at home for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.
“It would give us a couple of extra days,” said Harrington, “and we can leave taking on the younger horses on their home territory until March.”
Might Bite, the 6-4 favourite with the sponsors, missed a strong piece of work yesterday because of the snow but it did not bother Nicky Henderson. “They cantered a mile around the school and then went a mile up the hill on a strip of grass we’d harrowed twice but it’s nothing to worry about, as he doesn’t need huge amounts [of work].”
Henderson added that while he is a “huge respecter” of the £1million bonus-seeking Bristol De Mai, he felt the grey’s principal weapon was his ability to gallop on very soft ground when so many others struggle on it.
“I’m not saying he is not a good horse on good ground, but he has the ability on soft to make it hard for everyone else. I’d be the first to admit, however, Might Bite prefers better ground.”
Henderson could also run Ladbrokes Trophy runner-up Whisper, although he said he wanted to win a race rather than throw him back against a horse (Might Bite) who has beaten him twice. “We were thinking of putting him away for the National but the Handicapper has given him an almighty clobbering,” said the trainer. “It was bad enough getting beat then we got a left hook from the Handicapper!”
Nigel Twiston-davies said he was looking forward to the race and for the talking to stop, saying: “The facts will be there. Just because Bristol De Mai has won on the heavy everyone assumes he’s a heavy ground horse, but he moves like a good ground horse. Blaklion won the RSA Chase and Bristol De Mai beat him giving him 6lb at Wetherby. There’s not much form with the others. He won a good race on the bridle at Haydock. It didn’t seem to take anything out of him though we’d be foolish to think it hadn’t.”
The positive about Sizing John’s absence is that the same owners’ Fox Norton, the Tingle Creek second, now enters the equation according to Joe Tizzard.
“It’s a big possibility now and he’ll be left in at the five-day stage,” he explained. “We think a lack of fitness accounted for Thistlecrack’s run at Newbury. He certainly looks a bit tighter now and I’m sure you’ll see better. We were looking for something easier for Cue Card, but there’s nothing about so Mrs Bishop is keen for him to run in another King George.”