Spillane's Tower: Runs in the King George

Kempton Boxing Day declarations | Spillane's Tower heads 11 in King George

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Mon December 23, 2024 · 3h ago

Jimmy Mangan's supplemented Spillane's Tower has been confirmed amongst 11 entries for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

The three who miss out from the six-day entries are Ahoy Senor, Hewick and Royale Pagaille, leaving a fascinating clash of horses from Ireland, England and France.

JP McManus, owner of Spillane's Tower, is double-handed with Emmet Mullins' Corbetts Cross, while the Irish challenge is complete by Joseph O'Brien's Banbridge and Henry de Bromhead's Envoi Allen.

The home hopes are headed by Dan Skelton's Grey Dawning, with Venetia Williams' L'Homme Presse, Paul Nicholls' 2022 winner Bravemansgame and Patrick Neville's The Real Whacker also running from English-based stables.

France have won the King George five times thanks to Francois Doumen and a trio of challengers cross the Channel to take part.

Noel George & Amanda Zetterholm send over Il Est Francais, so impressive in victory in the Kauto Star on this card 12 months ago, while stablemate General En Chef also runs.

The field is completed by Juntos Ganamos, trained by David Cottin and ridden by Felix de Giles.

Francais 'in great form'

Noel George said of Il Est Francais: “The horse is in great form, he’s got an unbelievable coat on him and everything we’ve asked of him since (being pulled at Auteuil last month), he has passed with flying colours.

“There’s been a lot of work gone into him with my vets and my staff and we’ve got the green light since his last piece of work, so we’re looking forward to bringing him back to Kempton.

“He burst a blood vessel last time. It’s not the first time he’s done it and every time it’s happened, it’s been at Auteuil. We’re just hoping he can put in the performance he did last year at Kempton, he seems in the same form, and if he does, we’ve got a great chance.

“The most important thing is the horse doesn’t do it at home, which he never has. It’s happened a couple of times and only ever at the races, so all we can do is avoid it happening at home, which it never does.

“Maybe certain circumstances might cause it, but we know that he loves Kempton and the good ground will definitely suit him.”

When asked if he would pick good ground for his charge, George said: “One hundred per cent. He’s a horse who wins his races through his jumping exuberance and his stride, so he’s definitely better on good ground than heavy.

“He’s won Grade Ones over hurdles dropping in over the first three or four obstacles and then letting him bowl along. I think the main thing is, you don’t want to work against him, if he wants to bowl and wing fences, then let him do that.

“If he gets into the rhythm he did last year, then it will be difficult to lay up with him.

“He’s always maturing, he’s only six, so he is bigger and stronger and more mature physically. The horse looks great.”

George and Zetterholm are also running General En Chef, who travelled like the best horse in the Coral Gold Cup last month before weakening to finish fourth. This time, a change in headgear has been applied to help him finish his race stronger.

“I think he’s going to run a massive race. I’ve never had him as good as he is. His first ever run over British fences, he was fourth in the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup),” George said on a Zoom call organised by the Jockey Club.

“He probably got there a little bit too soon. We’re going to drop him in, we know it will be an end-to-end gallop and it’s an easier finish than at Newbury.

“I think he’s definitely got a good place chance anyway.

“He didn’t start once at Auteuil and always had the hood on. Because he didn’t start, I took the hood off, but he hasn’t quite been seeing out his races, so I’ve put the hood back on to help him relax and if he did hit the front, the cheekpieces are there to hopefully mean that he stays there.

“They are both half English-owned. We’re not going to come over for Mickey Mouse races but if you can be competitive in a race like the King George, it’s a dream for any owner.”

Summing up Il Est Francais’ chance, George concluded: “Physically, I think he has improved from last year but obviously we are not coming in with the perfect preparation. If it goes the way it went last year, with no health problems, then I think he’ll be very difficult to beat.”

The third French challenger is the supplemented Juntos Ganamos, trained by David Cottin, who enjoyed a Grade Two winner at Cheltenham’s last meeting with Jet Blue.

“I think he’s a very good horse with a lot of class, I’m hoping I’m not wrong,” said Cottin.

“Last time when he ran, he made a mistake at a crucial point in the race. Despite that, it was a good performance and I hope he can reproduce that.

“He made a mistake with five furlongs to run and that’s where he lost the race, I think he could have won without that.

“I don’t think he has to run from the front, he can also be ridden from behind – like any good horse, he can adapt to the race.

“I’m happy with the ground, most importantly it will be a race with a lot of pace and that is what my horse needs, as that suits him down to the ground.

“I’m not saying we are going to win, but I’m coming with a horse who is in good form.”

Mullins issues Cross warning

Emmet Mullins has warned that Corbetts Cross may not run if the ground continues to dry out.

Any forecast rain is likely to be minimal and unlikely to have any lasting effect on the ground at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

The ground was described as good, good to soft in places on Monday – and should it dry out any further, Mullins may be forced to think twice about running his JP McManus-owned Cheltenham Festival winner.

“I’m very excited, he’ll be a first runner in the King George for me, so it will be a big day,” said Mullins.

“With Mr McManus having Fact To File for the Leopardstown race, I think he just wanted to cover his options and spread them out a bit (over Christmas).

“I thought his first run was satisfactory, the same horse (Heart Wood) beat him on his comeback last year as well. We’ve had a good enough prep and we’re nearly there now.”

However, when asked if the possibility of good ground was a concern, Mullins said: “Very much so. With these 17 hands chasers, you don’t want them running on good ground.

“At the Cheltenham Festival, everyone seems on board with getting it started on good to soft ground. I’d be very worried about good ground. Especially given the facilities there with the lake, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of any watering.

“There’s a chance he might not run, we have a championship chaser and they are not designed to run on good ground.

“Good to soft would be OK but it’s tightening up already and I see there’s no rain in the forecast for the next few days, so that will be a worry and I think it’s going the opposite way.”

Reflecting on his season to date, Mullins said: “He wasn’t fully wound up at Wexford but it was great to get that run under his belt.

“We had been thinking of the Betfair Chase but to go into a championship race, you need to be 100 per cent and even with the Wexford run, it hadn’t brought us on enough, so the extra few weeks helped and I think we’re nearly there now.

“My long-term aim with him is the Gold Cup and that will be the day he’ll be 100 per cent, hopefully.”

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Ground latest with no watering

Clerk of the course Barney Clifford confirmed there are no plans to do any watering.

“It’s lovely ground really. Good, good to soft in places and there’s a drop of rain due to come through tonight.

“The going stick, which is consistent at Kempton, indicates a mixture of good and good to soft, so a drop of rain tonight would be lovely, but I think we’re set for a top-class going description for the King George.

“I think there’s a band coming tonight, which is minimal, only a couple of millimetres, then it will be bright, sunny and mild. I don’t think we’ll be far away from a good ground King George.

“Good ground is fine, I guess one or two would maybe like conditions a little bit easier, but I think because the way the forecast has been, I haven’t been able to change anything, so I won’t be irrigating to make it any slower than what it currently is.

“There’s plenty of moisture underneath. If you go back to November 28, we had an inch of rain in about half an hour and it was under water. It’s been steadily drying out, we’ve had 6.5mm this week, so I’m very happy.

“This is my 25th King George, my 24th in charge and I’d say this is probably the most competitive race I’ve seen, looking at it.”

Lossiemouth v Constitution Hill is on

In the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle a mouthwatering clash between Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth is on after the mare was declared amongst a field of four runners.

Willie Mullins' five-year-old, nine from 10 over hurdles, gets the 7lb sex allowance from Constitution Hill and comes into the race on the back of beating Teahupoo in the Hatton's Grace on December 1.

Constitution Hill has his first run in 366 days since winning this race at odds of 1/12 a year ago but his task looks a whole lot tougher against Lossiemouth with bookmakers offering odds-against about the seven-year-old for the first time since he won the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.

Burdett Road, winner of the Greatwood Hurdle, and Lump Sum, second to Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth, complete the quartet.

“Let’s put aside all the talk now, and enjoy this race for what it promises to be, one of the most eagerly-anticipated contests in the sport in recent years,” Constitution Hill's rider Nico De Boinville told Unibet.

“With all due respect to Burdett Road and Lump Sum, our boy faces a mighty task against a race-fit Lossiemouth getting the 7lb allowance, after an absence of a year. And he has had his well-documented issues since winning this race last season.

“But we wouldn’t be here if we were not 100 per cent happy with him and let us not forget he was beating State Man by nine lengths in a Champion Hurdle three starts ago, and the runner-up has won six Grade Ones since.

“These are the days and races you want to be riding in, especially when the horse is Constitution Hill.”