Boxing Day: Declared runners for the Kempton showpieces

Bravemansgame and L’Homme Presse feature among a final field of nine horses declared for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Paul Nicholls has long since considered the Boxing Day showpiece as a tailor-made target for Bravemansgame, who was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on this day last season.

The seven-year-old cemented his claims with a comeback victory in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in October and is strongly fancied to provide Nicholls with a 13th King George success.

He is not the Ditcheat maestro’s only runner, however, with the improving Haydock winner Hitman also considered a leading contender, while 2020 King George hero Frodon bids to regain his crown.

Bravemansgame has been at the top of ante-post lists for some time, but has seen that position challenged in recent days by the Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse.

Like his big rival, the French import was one of the top performing novice chasers last season, with his biggest day coming in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

He produced a tremendous weight-carrying performance to make a successful reappearance in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle last month and is out to give Williams a second King George success, some 24 years after she struck gold with Teeton Mill.

The Herefordshire handler has a second string to her bow in the form of Royal Pagaille, while Irish hopes are carried by Henry de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned eight-year-old may have lost the aura of invincibility he once had, but proved he is no back number when winning the Down Royal Champion Chase on his latest appearance – his first start over the King George trip of three miles.

Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson said: “He’s not being talked about as much as some of the other horses, but I think we go there with a chance and we’re excited.

“I’ll be fascinated to see how he runs. I had no idea (what to expect) at Down Royal and that was such a great win for him. It really showed us that three miles will suit him well.”

Envoi Allen has suffered from well-documented breathing issues, but Thompson is hopeful on that front.

He added: “I think if he settles well and travels nice and easy, he can get into a rhythm over three miles and hopefully his breathing will be OK, as it was last time. Let’s see.

“To win a King George would be incredible.”

Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor beat Bravemansgame and L’Homme Presse at Aintree in the spring, but takes them on again with something to prove after successive defeats this autumn.

Eldorado Allen, trained by Joe Tizzard, was second to Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall and has since filled the runner-up spot in Haydock’s Betfair Chase behind Protektorat, so connections can rightly feel he lines up with each-way claims once more.

The field is completed by Alex Hales-trained outsider Millers Bank.

Constitution Hill is set to face just four rivals when he puts his unbeaten record and huge reputation on the line in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.

The pre-eminent star of National Hunt racing, Nicky Henderson’s charge was nothing short of sensational in last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and was similarly impressive on his reappearance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle last month.

The five-year-old left his Champion Hurdle and dual Christmas Hurdle-winning stablemate Epatante trailing in his wake at Gosforth Park, but after freezing temperatures scuppered her intended appearance in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham, she takes him on again in Sunbury.

Third in the betting is Alan King’s stable stalwart Sceau Royal. The 10-year-old has won 17 races over hurdles and fences combined, but clearly has his work cut out in this company.

Harry Fry’s Metier, who was last seen winning the November Handicap on the Flat, and the Chris Gordon-trained Highway One O Two have even more to find on official ratings – but the latter is a course and distance winner and bolted up in what looked a competitive handicap hurdle at Ascot last month.

Gordon said: “I’ve popped him in there and if he improves 35lb I’ve got it in the bag!

“At the end of the day we’d saved him for the £150,000 handicap at Ascot last weekend and unfortunately that got cancelled.

“There’s not much else for him and there’s fantastic prize-money on offer in the Christmas Hurdle. My boy will jump off and go his gallop and what will be will be.

“I don’t really like doing this type of thing, but he’s old and wise enough and there’s just not a handicap suitable for him at the moment after the race at Ascot was called off.

“We’ll go to Kempton, the owner can have a nice day and it would just be nice if we can get a bit of prize-money to bring back home.”

Champ and Paisley Park will renew rivalry in the rescheduled Ladbrokes Long Walk Hurdle.

The race was due to be run at Ascot before Christmas but the cold snap saw the fixture cancelled, giving racegoers in Sunbury an additional highlight on one of the feature festive cards.

Nicky Henderson’s Champ proved a neck too strong for the Emma Lavelle-trained Paisley Park in a thrilling finish to last month’s Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury, with the latter narrowly failing with his customary late charge.

The duo take each other on again in a five-strong field that also features Goshen, who will be stepping to three miles for the first time after returning to winning form for Gary Moore with a bloodless Ascot Hurdle success.

Another switching up in trip is Hughie Morrison’s Not So Sleepy, a well-beaten third behind Constitution Hill in the Fighting Fifth, while the five-strong field is completed by the Paul Nicholls-trained Miranda – a Listed victor at Kempton on her most recent spin.

Nicholls holds a strong hand in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase, fielding both Gelino Bello and McFabulous.

The first-named has won both his starts over fences and will be ridden by Bryony Frost, while Harry Cobden has opted to ride McFabulous, who is two from three in chase company and landed a Newbury Grade Two last month.

He beat Thyme Hill that day and Philip Hobbs’ charge will attempt to reverse that six-and-a-half-length defeat.

Dan Skelton runs Galia Des Liteaux rather than Ballygrifincottage, with the experienced Mortlach from Fergal O’Brien’s yard the final contender for Grade One honours.