King George VI Chase betting: Allaho cut again after Gerri Colombe makes Leopardstown switch
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Allaho is now 6/4 (from 7/4) with Coral in the King George VI Chase betting following the news Gerri Colombe will swerve the Kempton feature on Boxing Day.
Gordon Elliott’s will instead run against Galopin des Champs in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Thursday.
Of the horses at bigger prices, Hewick is one who has seen plenty of each-way support, and having been 33/1 only a few days ago, ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s horse is now 14/1 to provide his connections with a fairytale victory.
‘’We have seen some each-way support for Hewick. Having said that, Allaho has certainly been the best backed horse in the race this week, and he’s now 6/4 to give Willie Mullins a third victory in the race’’, said Coral’s Lewis Knowles.
‘’We haven’t seen quite as much money for Shishkin as we’d anticipated, but it would be no surprise were he to shorten between now and Boxing Day. He’s clearly one of the most talented horses in training, but perhaps punters are sceptical since his refusal to race at Ascot last time’’, added Knowles.
Mullins sprang a surprise in the race two years ago with Tornado Flyer but that was his first triumph in the race since Florida Pearl in 2001 and in Allaho he has strong claims of a second success in three years.
The two-time Ryanair Chase winner made the perfect return to action when making every yard of the running in the Clonmel Oil Chase last month.
😍 Love to see it!
🐎 ALLAHO IS BACK!! He wins the Clonmel Oil Chase @ClonmelR for @WillieMullinsNH & @PTownend
🎉 561 days off the track and he's back with a bang! pic.twitter.com/le8XCQ0LgA
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 9, 2023
The nine-year-old had not been seen in action since slamming Clan Des Obeaux over three miles in the Punchestown Gold Cup back in 2022.
However, he has made his name as a chaser over intermediate trips, winning the extended two-and-a-half-mile Ryanair at Cheltenham twice in succession in devastating style.
A problem with his spleen meant he missed the whole of last season and he was having his first outing for 561 days but Paul Townend was clearly not worried about fitness.
Out early for one of Mullins’ stable stars, he was a little sticky at one or two fences on the way around but was never really in any danger.
With French Dynamite pulled out because of the ground, stablemate Janadil was the only real opposition and while he did close up on the run to the second last, two safe leaps ensured there was to be no drama and Allaho won by nine lengths.
“He was a bit rusty early on and uncompetitive for the first couple of fences but I wasn’t going revving him up. He certainly didn’t feel any smaller and is a big horse to try to organise, so you just let him do his thing,” said Townend.
“He is massive and I was chatting to Rachael (Blackmore) not that long ago – as she won the Ryanair (in 2021) on him – and he just covers so much ground. You think you are just lobbing along but he puts other horses under so much pressure.
“He took plenty of blows and it is hard work with everything finishing tired. He was entitled to get tired having been off the track for so long but it is job done and there is plenty to work on. It is brilliant to get him back and his engine looks to be there.”
Second favourite Bravemansgame has yet to win a race since his victory 12 months ago.
He went out on his shield in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but was surprisingly beaten in the Charlie Hall and Betfair Chase this season.
However, trainer Paul Nicholls remains confident the eight-year-old will put up a staunch defence of his crown.
He said: “Bravemansgame won the race last year and then the season before he won the Kauto Star (Novices’ Chase) around Kempton. He loves it there and it is the ultimate track for him. It is almost a home game for him in many ways.
“Whether the Gold Cup left a mark on him, I don’t know, and it could be that it has just taken a while to get him back. He looks good. We are looking forward to the King George.”
Bravemansgame will be joined in the King George field by his veteran stablemate Frodon (40/1), who claimed a popular victory in the race three years ago under Bryony Frost and was last seen finishing third when seeking a second win in the Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton.
“Frodon loves it around Kempton and he is in really good form. He is not getting any younger but he will still run a good race,” said Nicholls.
“He has been a great horse for us. He has come on from Wincanton where the ground went a bit soft and it didn’t quite work out.
“He has a huge task at the age of 11 against those younger legs but he will still run a good race. He is a legend of a horse. It would be absolutely wonderful if he could finish third or fourth.”
Shishkin (11/2) is the unknown quantity in the field after refusing to start at Ascot recently.
He proved his stamina for three miles at Aintree in the spring but the lack of a recent run is a concern for his trainer Nicky Henderson.
Jockey Nico de Boinville insists everything possible has been done to prevent Shishkin from downing tools again but ultimately it will be up to the horse himself to behave at Kempton.
When asked how much can be done to get Shishkin going if he stalls again when the tape goes up, the jockey told Sky Sports Racing: “Not much – if horses don’t want to run, they won’t run!”
De Boinville, who has been ever-present in the saddle throughout Shishkin’s career, is happy with how his preparations have gone back in Lambourn, though.
“I’ve done lots of sitting on him,” he added. “All boxes are ticked and crossed and we’ve tried everything so we won’t be going to Kempton thinking ‘oh, I wish we’d done that in practice’.
“It’s one of those, if he doesn’t want to do it, he won’t do it – no matter what I do. In actual fact, he’s one of those horses that the more pressure you put on him, the more he’ll dig his heels in. But he hasn’t shown one inkling of doing it since he’s got back home after Ascot.
“It would have been nice to have got a run into him but these things happen and I’m looking forward to it – if we jump off and everything I think he’s in for a big race.”
Hewick (14/1) and Venetia Williams’ Royal Pagaille (8/1), winner of the Betfair Chase, complete the eight.
7/4 Allaho
9/4 Bravemansgame
5/1 Gerri Colombe
11/2 Shishkin
8/1 The Real Whacker
10/1 Royale Pagaille
14/1 Hewick
40/1 Frodon
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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
