Rory Delargy

KEMPTON SATURDAY

2.00 KAUTO STAR NOVICES’ CHASE (3M)

The Kauto Star sees the first of several eagerly anticipated clashes over the weekend, with the leading staying novice in Britain, Native River crossing swords with impressive Exeter winner Tea For Two. The former has a marginal edge on form, it seems, but he’s had three runs this season in order to prove how smart he is, whereas that spring-heeled performance came on Tea For Two’s chase debut. Colin Tizzard landed this contest in 2007 with Joe Lively, and it should also be pointed out that the exciting Native River is still only a five-year-old with further improvement certain, but in a tough contest to call, marginal preference is for Tea For Two, who can again put Lizzie Kelly in the spotlight.

2.35 williamhill.com CHRISTMAS HURDLE (2M)

There have been a few rumours doing the rounds regarding Faugheen’s surprise defeat in the Morgiana, with the gelding’s tendency to hang in the closing stages seen by some as the sign of a physical problem. It’s true that he failed to repeat the form shown in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown, but time will show that a narrow defeat at the hands of a well-ridden Nichols Canyon is smarter form that the rag-tag group assembled against him here can manage.

That’s perhaps a little harsh on The New One given his previous form, but he looked regressive last season, and while he was diagnosed as suffering from kissing spines in the summer, that merely gives a reason for his decline, and it would take a tremendous feat of training to bring a horse suffering from such a painful and restrictive condition back to his best. He’s been restricted to a single run this term, suggesting that he’s becoming harder to train, and that’s no surprise.

Old Guard may prove the biggest challenger to Faugheen after winning both the Greatwood and the International (Bula) at Cheltenham this term, but likeable as he is, he’s not had to run to a mark within a stone of Faugheen’s best to do so, and he’s essentially playing for second if the champ is in moderately good health.

3.10 WILLIAM HILL KING GEORGE VI CHASE (3M)

There would be no more popular result in the King George than a Cue Card win, with the veteran’s return to his very best one of the high points of the season so far, and he’s in line for a £1m bonus should he win this and the Gold Cup. I’d love it if Colin Tizzard managed to pull off the dream, but the realist in me says he’s an unlikely winner of this, never mind the big one in March. It’s possible to make excuses for a trio of defeats here, with negative tactics sealing his fate first time, while he sailed along imperiously for most of the way in 2013 until suddenly losing his rhythm and allowing Silviniaco Conti in. He failed to fully find his sparkle last season when also behind Paul Nicholls’ runner, but the bottom line is that this is the strongest King George he’s run in, and he’s got three defeats to his name. The likeliest winner by some way is Don Cossack, who has been nothing short of awe-inspiring in the past year, with his only blip coming under a surprisingly naïve ride from Bryan Cooper in the Ryanair at Cheltenham. He showed he was the best around when beating the Gold Cup second and third at Punchestown, having stopped off to give Cue Card another drubbing at Aintree. He’s not turned a hair this term, and should have been favourite for this from the get-go. The only negative, and it looks an incidental one, is that the horse’s standout performances have come when Cooper hasn’t been on board, with McCoy riding at Aintree and Carberry at Punchestown when Cooper chose Road To Riches.

There are plenty in this contest I couldn’t have, with Silviniaco Conti making no appeal at the prices, Cue Card already covered, and Al Ferof not good enough and likely to have left his race at Huntingdon in any case. Smad Place was given the perfect ride to win the Hennessy, and isn’t quite top class, for all he’s a wonderful horse to watch, as at Newbury. Vautour is a class act, and therefore hard to kick out, but is too short given doubts about his stamina and the suitability of right-handed Kempton, while he’ll always be shown to best advantage on genuinely good ground. On the other hand, Willie Mullins’ other challenger Valseur Lido, while no match for Vautour on quick ground at Cheltenham, will be better suited to the ease he gets here, and he looked better than ever when chasing home Djakadam in the John Durkan three weeks ago. I’d not expect him to beat Don Cossack, but he’s an improving chaser who is unexposed at three miles, has conditions to suit, and looks overpriced at 25/1.

CHEPSTOW SUNDAY

2.35 CORAL WELSH GRAND NATIONAL (3M5F110Y)

I thought I’d be faced with a quandary here, with the two horses I’ve had on my mind for this race (and last year’s version) both recovered from injury and due to take part, but the latest news is that Rebecca Curtis considers the race comes too soon for the mighty O’Faolains Boy, who was found guilty by many of winning “the worst RSA in living memory”. Given the field included Smad Place, Many Clouds, Carlingford Lough and Don Cossack, that assessment is looking woefully inaccurate. He now heads to Cheltenham next month. In his absence, I’m very sweet on the chances of Midnight Prayer, who was my selection in the race a year ago only to be struck down by injury. Alan King’s former National Hunt Chase winner made a belated return at Newbury’s Hennessy Gold Cup fixture, finishing a fine fourth over an inadequate trip, and proving as good as ever in the process. He’s very well handicapped on his novice form, and was dropped by the handicapper after running in last year’s Hennessy – a race which has worked out tremendously well. Patience is a virtue, and Alan King has had to show his fair share of it with this talented stayer, who can make the waiting worthwhile.

RECOMMENDED

SATURDAY

VALSEUR LIDO 3.10 Kempton - 1pt e/w @ 25/1 (Hills, Corals)

SUNDAY

MIDNIGHT PRAYER 2.35 Chepstow - 1pt e/w @ 8/1 (general)