The King George VI Chase has been opened up as a Christmas option for the Gold Cup champion War Of Attrition after his shock Down Royal defeat at the weekend and Conor O'Dwyer believes the different demands of the Kempton track might even help the star chaser if he does travel to Britain for the first time this season.
War Of Attrition's trainer Mouse Morris confirmed after the narrow defeat to Beef Or Salmon in Saturday's James Nicholson Chase he will be putting the Michael O'Leary-owned horse into the King George as well as leaving him in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.
Bookmaker reaction to that yesterday was for Cashmans to make War Of Attrition as low as 3 to 1 favourite while Paddy Power made the horse a 4 to 1 joint second favourite behind their market leader Kauto Star in ante-post betting for the King George which will be run again at Kempton after last year's diversion to Sandown due to track redevelopment.
"Leopardstown at Christmas might come up very testing and he just doesn't handle that ground as well as the others," reasoned Morris, and a switch to Britain on St Stephen's Day would not be a problem for War Of Attrition's jockey.
Yesterday, Conor O'Dwyer agreed very heavy ground doesn't suit the horse and that a spin around Leopardstown in the Lexus might not bring War Of Attrition's spectacular jumping ability fully into play. "If you look at Down Royal on Saturday, and at Leopardstown, there is a lack of fences over the last half mile," argued O'Dwyer.
"For instance, if you land at the back of the last ditch at Leopardstown, which is three out, you still have at least half a mile to go with only two fences in that time. That's a lot different to the likes of Punchestown and Cheltenham. With this horse, it's a case of the more jumping, the better, because he is so good.
"I'm not saying the last two fences at Cheltenham last season won him the Gold Cup but he did absolutely excel over them," he added.
Kempton has always been a course that has suited spectacular jumpers such as the four-time King George winner Desert Orchid and O'Dwyer believes the track would be no problem to War Of Attrition either.
"Left or right handed is not an issue with him. But ground is very important. He is just not at his best on very heavy going and I guess Mouse wants to keep his options open," he said.
Irish trained horses have a fine recent record in the King George with Kicking King having won the race for the last two years and Florida Pearl in 2001 bridged a long gap back to Captain Christy's success in 1975.
A potential Gold Cup star of the future is In Compliance who won a Grade Three in impressive style at Down Royal on Saturday and who is set for a quick reappearance in this weekend's Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
Trainer Michael O'Brien confirmed his intention to run in the first big chase of the British season although he doesn't want his horse to carry too much weight. "It depends on how the weights go.
The plan is to run but we might have to think again if he ended up with something like 11st 12lb," O'Brien said. "It's not ideal having just a week between races but he seems in good form."
O'Brien saddled the last Irish winner of the race, when it was known as the Mackeson, with Bright Highway in 1980 but was reluctant to make comparisons.
"In Compliance is a big strong horse with plenty of pace while Bright Highway was more of a stayer. In Compliance has yet to confirm if he is a stayer or not," he said.
Forget The Past, third to War Of Attrition in last season's Gold Cup, could return to action over hurdles in three weeks' time before taking in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown.
"Both horses could run in the Gold Cup," added O'Brien. "But on good ground, War Of Attrition is definitely the horse to beat."
Three other Irish trained horses - Sir Oj, Tumbling Dice and Ground Ball - remain in the Paddy Power and the current topweight is the 2003 winner, and course specialist, Fondmort.
BETTING: (Paddy Power): 7-2 Kauto Star, 4 War Of Attrition and Monets Garden, 13-2 Star De Mohaison, 7 Our Vic, 8 Racing Demon, 12 Bar.
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