King George VI Chase favourite Il Est Francais will warm up for his return to Kempton in the Prix La Haye Jousselin at Auteuil on Sunday.
Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm’s stable star was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on his first appearance in Britain last Christmas and a return to the Sunbury circuit for the big one has been high on his agenda ever since.
The six-year-old suffered a first defeat over fences on his next start at Auteuil in the spring, but showed his true colours on his return from a summer break in a Grade Three at the Parisian track in late September and George is looking forward to seeing him back at the highest level this weekend.
“The plan is to run on Sunday, he’s in great form and hopefully he can get the job done,” he said. “He’s improved enormously since his last race. He wasn’t blowing me away enormously in his homework before that run and then we took him to the grass and he absolutely flew, so we had to run him while he was in good form and he’s improved for the run and we’re really looking forward to Sunday.”
Il Est Francais, who is a best-priced 3-1 market leader for the King George with sponsors Ladbrokes, had the option of an early trip to Britain later this month, having been entered for the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday week.
But connections have elected to keep him at home for the time being, which means a first outing over almost three and a half miles.
George added: “The Betfair Chase entry was just a back-up in case something happened or something went wrong, but everything seems OK, touch wood, so the plan is to run on Sunday and then roll on the King George.
“It’s a very good race on Sunday and definitely not a walk in the park. It’s an unknown distance, but I don’t think it should be a problem and the horse is in great form.
“It’s exactly the same timings as last year between Auteuil and Kempton, so hopefully he can do the same.”
Il Est Francais is not the only horse from the George and Zetterholm yard being readied for a trip across the Channel in the coming days and weeks.
Midnight Exit and Do It Again are heading to Britain to contest juvenile hurdles at Hereford and Bangor on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, while the hat-trick seeking Marvel De Cerisy and Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris third General En Chef have been earmarked for big-race assignments on these shores.
“We’ve got four or five for the weekend after next at Ascot, including Marvel De Cerisy, who will go for the big two-mile handicap chase. He won two handicaps impressively at Auteuil and he’s in great form,” said George.
“We’ve a smart novice coming over called Kloth Of Utopia, who was very impressive at Auteuil last time for JP McManus, so hopefully we’ll have some good chances. Unless there’s very few runners in the Betfair Chase, the plan is to run General En Chef in the Coral Gold Cup.
“I think he’s got a nice mark and I think Newbury will suit him well. He’s a horse that likes to be held up, so with two long straights, I’d like to think he’ll travel into it nicely. He was third in the French Gold Cup in the spring, so he’s a very good horse.”
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