TRAINERS will be beating, a path to Kempton over Christmas in a bid to establish the real state of the going as the list of King George rivals to One Man threatened to shrink by half yesterday.
A final declaration of eight, with the 1994 winner Algan among the three absentees from the five day entry, has produced the smallest field since 1992 for the £100,000 event.
But the participation of Rough Quest, Trying Again, Couldn't Be Better and Mr Mulligan is not yet guaranteed.
With rain preferred, Terry Casey, David Gandolfo and Charlie Brooks will examine the conditions at Kempton first hand before confirming their plans, while Mr Mulligan's run depends on a foot he bruised remaining sound.
The ground at Kempton is currently good under a strong north easterly wind but the prospect of more cold, not wet, weather is causing particular concern to Casey, whose charge represents the principle danger to odds on favourite One Man.
Rough Quest, who warmed up with a hurdle race victory at Folkestone last week, is in "superb shape" but even though owner Andrew Wales is chairman of Kempton, he will not be risked if the ground is not suitable.
Casey will walk the track today but one opinion of the going, relayed to him from One Man's partner Richard Dunwoody, does not fill him with optimism.
"The horse comes first. We don't want the ground to firm up," Casey emphasised.
"It's not looking very hopeful but one never knows and we will just have to keep our fingers crossed.
"I will know what the ground is like when I have seen it but I am told Richard walked it yesterday and I believe he thought it was quite quick."
Clerk of the course Peter McNeile does not expect conditions to alter significantly by Thursday but admitted an element of good to firm could form part of the going description.
"By and large I hate those descriptions, but something like good, good to firm in places particularly on the hurdles course is what it maybe," he said.
"They have had wintery showers in the Midlands and Yorkshire and we could do with a bit of that. The temperature has been below zero the last two nights but it hasn't affected the ground. The strong wind doesn't give the dew time to settle."
Trying Again has done all his winning on soft ground and he too will miss the King George if the ground is fast.
Mr Mulligan bruised a foot when he stood on a stone last Thursday but trainer Noel Chance is optimistic he will run.
"He has a shoe on today and walked and trotted sound. Provided there is no deterioration he should run," he said.
One Man is very difficult to oppose. Unattractively priced though he may be, the eight year old has excellent credentials and is fully entitled to start at odds on.
He put up arguably the best performance in a steeplechase all season when lifting this race last term when it was switched to Sandown, routing a good class field as he scored by no less than 14 lengths.
He disappointed afterwards when only sixth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on a course which seems not to suit him.
But the grey showed no ill effects on his reappearance in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetberby early last month as he strode to an easy seven length win.
He has delighted trainer Gordon Richards in his build up to this contest.
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