The ground at Kempton is drying out and may be no worse than good to soft for the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, a course official said on Sunday. But the champion jumps trainer, Paul Nicholls, refused to see that as a significant concern for the chance of his Silviniaco Conti, who won the Christmas race last year on stamina-sapping, rain-softened ground.
“If it could be softer, that would be better for him,” Nicholls conceded, “but that’s only because it would emphasise his stamina. He’s versatile as to ground, he’s won on good going many a time.
“A bit of frost, a bit of drizzle and it’ll be testing enough. They always go a good gallop in the King George anyway. You have to deal with the ground you’re served in these big races.”
A drier surface would in any case be good news for another Nicholls runner, Al Ferof, whose latest success at Ascot was described as “a career best for him over fences” by the trainer. “He’s been back in training a year after having a problem and sometimes it takes 12 months to get them back to where they were.”
Nicholls will also field Wonderful Charm in the King George, so long as the going does not become soft, but that seems unlikely with no more than 5mm of rain in the forecast. Nick Scholfield will ride and Boxing Day will be a big day for him, as he will also be aboard Irving in the Christmas Hurdle.
Zarkandar was said to be in rude health after his narrow defeat in Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle. “You wouldn’t know he’d had a race, he’s so full of himself,” Nicholls said.
The trainer feels Zarkandar may have won the Ascot race had his challenge been delayed, rather than taking the lead at the second-last flight. “But hindsight’s a wonderful thing and Sam [Twiston-Davies] hasn’t ridden him much.
“He’s a lazy horse at home and, if you were schooling him in front, he’d stop. Sam’s obviously young and he’s got to get experience of riding in better races. But credit to Reve De Sivola, he’s a tough horse and he proved it.” Zarkandar is now likely to go straight to the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
High Chaparral, the winner of the 2002 Derby, has died after colic surgery. Successful at two Breeders’ Cups, he was the sire of top-class performers like So You Think and Toronado.
