King George VI Chase: Boxing Day, 1440 GMT TV: Channel Four Commentary: BBC Radio 5 Live Report/results: BBC Sport website Here's my runner-by-guide to the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, where Kauto Star bids to become the only horse other than Desert Orchid to land the race three years running. Prediction:1 Kauto Star 2 Imperial Commander 3 Snoopy Loopy (Guide: Form, Horse's name, days since last run, age, weight, trainer, jockey) 2511-22 AIR FORCE ONE (27) 6 11-10
Charlie Mann Barry Geraghty
Has long been highly regarded by his trainer, and put in a smashing performance to finish runner-up in Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup (Snoopy Loopy third) in November. The flat, right-handed track at Kempton and not-too-soft going will suit the horse, who is now the mount of Barry Geraghty, following an injury to Noel Fehily, but in order to win he does need to come up with the performance of his life, plus a bit. 1113-4P ALBERTA'S RUN (27) 7 11-10
Jonjo O'Neill Tony McCoy
Basically disappointed since looking a champion in the making when successful in the big long distance chase for novices at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. Trained by Jonjo O'Neill for owner Trevor Hemmings, he appears to be up against it. 01621/1 BRIAREUS (44) 8 11-10
Andrew Balding Graham Lee
Named after a mythical 100-handed giant, is himself an enormous, but very nimble and big-jumping horse trained by Andrew Balding whose team, based at Kingsclere, Berkshire, has enjoyed its best year. A winner at Kempton over two miles in November, when returning after a long break, Balding is confident his stamina will last out the three-mile distance of the King George. Briareus was bred and is part-owned by Nick Ovett, younger brother of Olympic gold medallist Steve. 2353-23 EXOTIC DANCER (34) 8 11-10
Non-runner
03/114-1 IMPERIAL COMMANDER (41) 7 11-10
Nigel Twiston-Davies Paddy Brennan
Lived up to his name in spectacular style when taking Cheltenham's Paddy Power Gold Cup in November, and the form has been given a boost by the second and third both winning well since. And the relatively inexperienced seven-year-old, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies and regularly the mount of jockey Paddy Brennan, might have followed up at Cheltenham early this month but for waterlogging. Just a word of caution: having been in terrific form the T-D stable is not going so strongly now. 1122-1U KAUTO STAR (34) 8 11-10
Paul Nicholls Ruby Walsh
The hat-trick bid in jump racing's festive feature was, said his jockey Ruby Walsh, one of the thoughts that speeded up his recovery after rupturing his subsequently removed spleen in a fall at Cheltenham in November. Kauto Star is one of the outstanding steeplechasers of recent history, winning 16 of his 29 races and nearly �1.4m in prize money, a total that includes a first and second place in the Cheltenham Gold Cup as well as two King George trophies. After a facile success under Walsh at Down Royal, Northern Ireland, early in November, he was not at his best when unseating his replacement jockey Sam Thomas at Haydock later in the month, during Walsh's absence. 1-1110P MONT MISERE (15) 12 11-10
Paul Murphy Charlie Wallis
Making up the numbers, and success for the Paul Murphy-trained horse, pulled up when miles behind in a recent race at Huntingdon, would be perhaps the biggest ever King George shock. 23/2211- OUR VIC (267) 10 11-10
David Pipe Timmy Murphy
Gallant runner-up to Kauto Star in last year's race, his first run of what turned out to be a highly successful four-race campaign. The 10-year-old, trained by David Pipe for owner David Johnson, and the regular mount of Johnson's jockey Timmy Murphy, later won at the Cheltenham Festival before narrowly turning the tables on Kauto Star at the Aintree Festival. However, there is a suspicion that he's at his best in races staged over shorter than the King George's three miles. Pipe's horses do not seem to be in particularly strong form at the moment. 133132SNOOPY LOOPY (15) 10 11-10
Peter Bowen Seamus Durack
A revelation over the last year or so after being nursed through a series of problems and back to full fitness by trainer Peter Bowen and his team in Pembrokeshire. Thoroughly reliable and a fine jumper, his win, second place and three thirds achieved in valuable races since the end of October mean he leads jump racing's Order of Merit. He was not originally entered for the King George, but Bowen was able to add him to the line-up for �10,000 at the supplementary entry stage. Jockey Seamus Durack has struck up a particularly good association with the horse. 11103-2 TAMARINBLEU (34) 8 11-10
David Pipe Tom Scudamore
Ran tremendously well to be runner-up behind Snoopy Loopy (with Exotic Dancer third) at Haydock, as Kauto Star and his jockey famously parted company in November. A brave front-runner, he and regular jockey Tom Scudamore gave one or two bigger equine names plenty to think about last season, and three miles on Kempton's flat, undemanding track may be just what the doctor ordered. And although it has to be noted - as with Our Vic - that Tamarinbleu's trainer David Pipe is not in fantastic form, at Haydock the same comment applied. 21221-4 VOY POR USTEDES (61) 7 11-10
Alan King Robert Thornton
The horse officially rated closest in ability to Kauto Star after a run of success that made him as fine a two-mile chaser as any around, until, that is, Master Minded came along (though he gained revenge over that horse at Aintree). Stamina is an issue here, but trainer Alan King and jockey Robert 'Choc' Thornton are confident that he will see out the three miles okay. One run this season was highly respectable in a 2�-mile handicap chase, behind Exotic Dancer and Snoopy Loopy, but he was conceding them weight. Highly talented, he will be spot on to throw down the gauntlet to Kauto Star.
CONCLUSION
I suspect Kauto Star will probably complete the hat-trick, but as things have - uncharacteristically - not been going all Paul Nicholls' way of late, his odds are short enough. My inclination is that Voy Por Ustedes' stamina is not absolutely certain to last out the distance, so Imperial Commander and Snoopy Loopy are the two to back each-way. Okay, Imperial Commander has never won over the distance either, but he looked like a staying type at Cheltenham in November.
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