WITH so many elevated expectations, Christmas can sometimes seem as much about anti-climax as fulfilment. However, any disappointment with this year’s festive fare from the horse racing enthusiast is likely to be on a purely personal level.

Losing bets and unforeseen reverses there may have been, but racing itself delivered many memorable gifts, with top-class races and stirring finishes aplenty.

A contest as keenly anticipated as the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day too often falls short of hopes. But not this year, as a strong pace saw the cream rise to the top and resulted in the estimable Cue Card overhauling the exhilarating Vautour near the line for one of the great victories in this historic event.

Just how strong that pace was is demonstrated by the fact that the leaders in the King George completed the first two miles of the three-mile contest around 40 lengths quicker than had the leaders in the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices Chase over the same course and distance two races earlier.

The latter contest was run at a steady pace, but not a slow one, and the winner Tea For Two achieved a respectable timefigure of 139. Cue Card and Vautour went much better in both posting figures of 174, despite that pace taking its toll on both late on.

The race sectional from the third-last (which is 550 yards from home according to Google Earth) of 39.7s was the slowest of the six chases over the two days at Kempton and serves to show just how much Vautour in particular was running on empty by the end.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding has prodigious ability but not the stamina to match or at least not when ridden aggressively on ground softer than good. It is difficult to see what might beat him in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but the Gold Cup itself may be a distance too far.

Whether or not Cue Card would have won the King George had Don Cossack stood up two out is a moot point, and by no means irrelevant where the Gold Cup is concerned.

Don Cossack would probably have completed safely had he not been put under pressure, but “jumping is the name of the game” as we are frequently reminded. The fact is that he was responding well at the time and had gone from being about a length behind Cue Card at the previous fence to a fraction ahead of that rival when departing.

Given what happened next – both Cue Card and (even more) Vautour slowed – it seems more likely than not that Don Cossack would have remained ahead of Cue Card and therefore won, especially as his stamina is not in doubt.

Don Cossack, who had twice notched 175 timefigures previously, still appeals as the likeliest winner of the Gold Cup. But, if we didn’t know it before, we know it now - there is little between the best staying chasers around, and the division looks notably strong.