Midnight Shadow withdrawn from competitive King George VI Chase field at Kempton

The Grade One race at Kempton on Boxing Day had always been intended as a target for Cyril and Aafke Clarke’s steeplechaser who has become a flagbearer for Yorkshire jump racing.

Ryan Mania, Midnight Shadow and the unsung stable lad Reece Jarosiewicz priming Sue Smith’s horse for Cheltenham glory

However, this Sunday’s renewal looks particularly competitive – Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo features amongst 10 high-class entries – while Midnight Shadow has had three tough races in the past two months.

How King George win on Florida Pearl provided Adrian Maguire with famous victory

Third in Aintree’s Old Roan Chase, Midnight Shadow was then victorious in Cheltenham’s Paddy Power Gold Cup last month for the Bingley trainer and Ryan Mania.

Despite a significant hike in the handicap, Midnight Shadow returned to the Cotswolds track 10 days ago where he was a gallant third in the Racing Post Gold Cup after clipping the second last fence and being slightly hampered at the final fence.

“The owner is not keen to go there (Kempton) so we will find something else at a later date,” Smith told The Yorkshire Post.

“We are erring on the side of caution after three races and giving the horse a few weeks before finding something else for him.”

Possible targets could include the Grade One Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track in February before a tilt at the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, though the horse needs good ground to be seen at his best.

The Denman Chase at Newbury in mid-February could also come under consideration if connections step Midnight Shadow up in trip to three miles.

Meanwhile, the King George entries include the Sir Alex Ferguson part-owned Clan Des Obeuax, triumphant in 2018 and 2019, and last year’s victor Frodon.

Both are trained by champion trainer Paul Nicholls who also saddles Saint Calvados as he seeks an unprecedented 13th win in the race – his first victory came courtesy of See More Business in 1997.

Last season’s Gold Cup hero Minella Indo will bid to provide the all-conquering Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore, the newly crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year World Star, with another big-race triumph on British soil.

The eight-year-old can be expected to improve from his third-placed finish behind Frodon at Down Royal and plenty will fancy him to become the first Irish-trained winner since Kicking King in 2005.

It is 20 years since Willie Mullins saddled the popular Florida Pearl to claim King George glory and Ireland’s perennial champion trainer looks set to launch a twin assault.

Asterion Forlonge appears the stable’s number one hope, having looked set to play a major part in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase before unseating rider Bryan Cooper three fences from home. He is likely to be joined by Tornado Flyer, who finished fifth in the John Durkan.

Nicky Henderson is represented by Mister Fisher and Chantry House, with the latter a leading contender after readily accounting for his solitary rival on his seasonal debut at Sandown.

The Colin Tizzard-trained Lostintranslation has disappointed in the King George twice before, but connections will have taken heart from his return to form when winning at Ascot last month. Jeremy Scott’s stable star Dashel Drasher completes the potential line-up.

Kempton’s racing director Barney Clifford will appreciate the forecast rain ahead of the two-day Ladbrokes Christmas Festival.

With little rain having fallen in December so far, the forecast of between 10 and 15 millimetres will be welcomed for the Sunbury track’s biggest fixture of the year.

However, with the ground yesterday being described as good, good to soft in places, Clifford expects the going to be no worse than good to soft.