Nicholls and Tizzard double up for Boxing Day showpiece

A select field of six will go to post for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The two market leaders for the past month, Cyrname and Lostintranslation, head the field as both chase a second Grade One win in open company.

Cyrname has won each of his last three races – all at Ascot – and famously ended Altior’s 19-race unbeaten streak last time out in the 1965 Chase.

Paul Nicholls’ new star is currently the highest-rated chaser in training, on a 4lb higher mark than Colin Tizzard’s Lostintranslation, who bagged a first top-level win in open company last time out in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Both trainers also have exceptionally strong secondstrings to their bow.

Nicholls fields last year’s race winner Clan Des Obeaux, but he will be partnered by Sam Twiston-davies this time as regular pilot Harry Cobden has opted to ride Cyrname instead.

Tizzard’s classy second string is Thistlecrack, another former winner of the race. He claimed the contest as a novice in 2016 but has suffered injury issues in the interim, although he did finish second in 2018.

Venetia Williams’ Aso, second in the Ryanair at Cheltenham in March, also lines up along with Willie Mullins’ Footpad, with the 2018 Arkle winner the lowest-rated runner in the race on a lofty 165.

The only horse not declared was Warren Greatrex’s mare La Bague Au Roi.

Meanwhile, Fusil Raffles heads a three-strong team for Nicky Henderson in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.

The Seven Barrows handler has saddled a record eight previous winners of the Grade One contest, including each of the last two in Buveur D’air and Verdana Blue.

Verdana Blue returns to defend her crown, having inflicted a shock defeat on stablemate Buveur D’air last season but Henderson’s first string appears to be Fusil Raffles, who rounded off his juvenile campaign with a Grade One success at Punchestown in the spring and made a successful reappearance in last month’s Elite Hurdle at Wincanton. The third Henderson runner is the JP Mcmanusowned mare Epatante, who could hardly have been more impressive on her first start of the campaign at Newbury’s Ladbrokes Trophy meeting.