SIZING EUROPE is set to miss a clash wit Kauto Star in this Saturday’s rearranged William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Last year’s Arkle Trophy winner will not come over for the Grade One feature. The Irish-trained nine-year-old came to England for the abandoned Christmas meeting, but trainer Henry de Bromhead has decided to stay at home this time.
Sizing Europe, who finished second to Kauto Star in the JNwin.com Champion Chase at Down Royal, is likely to head for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March. But due to the three-week delay and expected softer conditions for Saturday’s race, he will not attempt to deny Kauto Star a record-breaking fifth success in the King George.
De Bromhead said: “After careful consideration we’ve decided to bypass the rearranged King George this Saturday with Sizing Europe.
“He’s in great form at home so what we’ll do now is sit down and look at our options here over the next three to four weeks with a view to a run prior to the Festival in March.”
Paul Nicholls thinks Kauto Star will benefit from the delay and is looking forward to Saturday.
The champion trainer said: “Obviously the race being delayed is a setback, different horses will be different. It doesn’t appear to have made any difference to Kauto Star because he likes to be really fresh and well and you don’t have to murder him in his work.
“He had a nice little break for a week after the day it was due to be run. He still cantered every day, we have just picked him up quietly and he’s in really good form. It doesn’t seem to have affected him at all.
“He worked great on Saturday morning and we are very happy with him.
“He was in good order when he won at Down Royal and he’s improved a lot for that run.
“It is a totally different race to what it would have been on Boxing Day. It would have been really good ground then, on Saturday if the forecast is right it looks like being really soft.
“That will be more of an advantage to him than it was on Boxing Day because a lot of horses would have have been a bigger threat on good ground whereas on soft ground it will go against some of them so it’s probably to his advantage.”
Nicky Henderson is concerned about soft ground for Riverside Theatre. He said: “I’m worried the ground has gone against Riverside Theatre. He’s in great form and on good ground I would be really keen.”
TODAY’S NAP: The Panama Kid (2.50pm Doncaster).
