Clan Des Obeaux aiming to complete Boxing Day hat-trick at Kempton

Clan Des Obeaux proved much too strong for Cyrname when successfully defending his crown in the Kempton showpiece 12 months ago and is on course to complete the hat-trick under Sam Twiston-Davies. However, Cyrname looked back to his best when making an impressive start to the current campaign in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby and appears set to make more of a race of it for the rematch.

As was the case last year, Harry Cobden takes the ride.

Frodon and Real Steel complete a four-pronged assault for trainer Paul Nicholls as he bids to add to his record haul of 11 King George victories. Nicky Henderson is represented by Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Santini, who was a surprise addition to the race after being supplemented on Monday.

The Colin Tizzard-trained Lostintranslation failed to fire in last year’s King George and again has something to prove, after finishing a well-beaten third in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month.

There were fears jockey Robbie Power would miss the ride after travelling to Ireland last weekend, but despite a change in travel restrictions between the two countries, he is set to return to Britain.

Joe Tizzard, assistant to his father, said: “I was worried for no more than two seconds as I spoke to Robbie and he said he had sorted it.”

Power is hopeful Lostintranslation will show his true colours, saying: “I think the ground is the key to him and it looks like we’re going to have some nice ground in Kempton.”

Ruth Jefferson’s long-absent Waiting Patiently, the mount of champion jockey Brian Hughes, is the sole Northern contender.

Meanwhile, Epatante will face four rivals as she bids to join an elite band of dual Christmas Hurdle winners.

Nicky Henderson’s brilliant mare took this prize in 2019 on her way to landing the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham back in March.

The six-year-old made a successful reappearance in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle and is now set to go for back-to-back victories.

This was a feat previously achieved by such stars as Binocular and Faugheen.

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