Kempton’s Ladbrokes King George VI Chase is a rare big National Hunt prize that JP McManus has not won. But the sport’s top owner has a leading chance of fixing that statistic on St Stephen’s Day with Fact To File.
The Willie Mullins-trained star is set to renew rivalry with stable companion Gaelic Warrior in the contest following their epic head-to-head clash in last month’s John Durkan Chase at Punchestown.
Fact To File landed the 2024 Durkan before twice coming up short against another Mullins star, Galopin Des Champs, over Leopardstown’s three miles last season.
Having subsequently landed the Ryanair at Cheltenham but failed to fire at two miles in Punchestown, Fact To File will return to the three-mile trip at which he landed the 2024 Brown Advisory.
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Last year’s winner, Banbridge, and Gordon Elliott’s Croke Park also figure among the nine entries left in the King George in advance of final declarations.
However, the Mullins pair are at the forefront of ante-post betting with Fact To File a marginal 5-2 favourite in most lists to reverse the Durkan form.
That’s encouraging for McManus, who twice had to settle for the runner-up spot in the King George with Jack Of Trumps over four decades ago. Jack Of Trumps finished second to Gay Spartan in 1978 and filled the same position behind Silver Buck a year later.
“The King George is always an exciting race and it’s nice to have a runner good enough to be one of the favourites, so we keep our fingers crossed.
“We’ll know if it was the right race for him [afterwards] and it would be lovely to tick this race off. I’d love to win the King George. I’ve been trying to win it since 1978.
“I was second in 1978 and 1979 and haven’t managed to get our nose in front yet, but Willie seems very happy to go and I’m very happy to go too, [so] all arrows are pointing to Kempton,” McManus said at the weekend.
The champion owner’s reigning Gold Cup champion, Inothewayurthinkin, is on course to line up in the Savills Chase on Day Three of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival. McManus won that race with Synchronised in 2011.
Cheltenham’s Queen Mother Champion Chase is the other big British Grade One prize yet to fall to McManus during his long and hugely influential time as an owner.
On Saturday, the Irish man landed Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle for a seventh time as Impose Toi stamped his Stayers Hurdle credentials with a smooth defeat of Strong Leader.
The latter just held off another McManus hope, Honesty Policy, for the runner-up spot and Gordon Elliott’s charge was cut to a general 8-1 shot for the Stayers crown following his encouraging return to action.
“Mark [Walsh] thought he stayed well and he was a bit fresh early on, but on the whole was delighted with him,” said McManus’s racing manager Frank Berry. “I would imagine we will work towards the Stayers’ Hurdle with him unless Gordon has other ideas.”
