L’Homme Presse will hopefully take his chance in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, despite the track not being ideal for him, connections have confirmed.
Winner of the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase the Cheltenham Festival in March, the Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old made light work of his eight rivals in the Grade Three Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on his return to action last month.
The Diamond Boy gelding, who is owned by Andy Edwards and Peter Pink under the DFA Racing banner, is currently as short as 9/4 second-favourite behind the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravemansgame for the three-mile showpiece.
However, Edwards highlighted that Kempton may not play to L’Homme Presse’s strengths.
He said: “Our intention is to go to the King George, assuming the ground is suitable for him.
“Kempton is not the ideal track for L’Homme Presse because it is so flat and so sharp.
“After Newcastle, he really needs to run now, and is ready to go. He is moving very nicely and we are very hopeful we can go.”
Bravemansgame has done most of his winning on flatter tracks, although he was behind L’Homme Presse when the pair were third and fourth to Ahoy Senor in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree in April, the only time those rivals were beaten last season.
Edwards remains unconcerned about the opposition at the Sunbury track, which is likely to also include the Nicholls pair of Hitman and 2020 King George winner Frodon, as well as Henry de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen and the Joe Tizzard-trained Eldorado Allen, who was runner-up in the Betfair Chase.
“With my horse, I have never feared any other horse,” said Edwards. “The difficultly, as with all horses, is trying to find the best conditions for your horse so they can be the best they can be.
“At Kempton, with its sharp corners, and very flat track, where the ground is never very deep, that does not play to his strengths.”
Should conditions not be favourable on Monday week, Edwards admitted plans may have to be revised en route to the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“You can’t just keep working them, so we would have a dilemma,” said Edwards.
When asked if there was any possibility of reverting to hurdles, Edwards said: “No. That is why we have every intention of going to Kempton, because he is ready to go, he needs to go, and he is a Grade One horse, so needs to be running in Grade One company.”
He added: “However, when the snow melts, which it will do on Sunday and Monday, and it will sink into the ground, conditions will be absolutely perfect for Boxing Day. I have every faith and no doubts that it will be.”
Edwards also had news on Fautinette, who was pulled up behind Knight Salute in the Grade One Anniversary 4-Y-O Hurdle at Aintree on her British debut in April.
The ex-French four-year-old mare, who is similarly trained by Williams, has been sidelined with injury subsequently, although could make her belated return in the next week or two.
Edwards explained: “Fautinette will hopefully run over Christmas somewhere.
“She got a nasty cut on her leg that needed stitching and plenty of time to heal. Then, when she came back, she schooled very nicely two weeks ago.
“She did a lovely piece of work, but she suffered a superficial cut again when schooling, on her other hind leg.
“Hopefully she will be out soon and it is all about confidence-building for her.”
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