THERE comes a point in the year when the King George that you talk about is the King George VI Chase, not the King George VI (same King George then) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Enable usually wins the latter these days, and Altior is clear favourite for the former. Altior hasn’t been beaten in over four years, he has never been beaten over hurdles or fences and the call for him to target the King George is loud. He is box office.

But he is not the highest-rated chaser in training, he is rated 2lbs inferior to Kemboy and he is rated 1lb inferior to Cyrname, he is nine rising 10 and he has never been beyond two and a quarter miles in his life. It will be great for racing if Nicky Henderson and Patricia Pugh have a go, and it will be even better if Altior succeeds, but it isn’t difficult to find more attractive betting propositions.

Bad luck

IT’S bad luck all right. Two counties involved in the replay, and racing scheduled for both counties on the day of the replay.