Grands Crus for the King George.

Nearly time to rev up the engines for the new season so an early starter:

Although it is plenty early enough to be taking a position without seeing the main protagonists out yet I like the chances of this one for the King George this year. Horses out of Dom Alco often improve with age and he is a 7 year old now so should be coming to his peak this season. I was very taken by how he put the race to bed in the Feltham last year. He was out in front a very long way out but always looked as if he was holding the hard ridden horses in behind.

Being out of the same sire you could say the same about Silvianaco Conti and being a year younger there may be a fair bit more to come from him but he jumped to his left at a few in last years Feltham and also clouted a couple, so I'm not sure either Kempton or right handed is ideal for him. He could be interesting in either the Charlie Hall or Hennessy.

The same applies to the third and subsequent Sun Alliance winner Bob's Return who was done for toe during the Feltham but plugged on nicely. This could be a big year for him if all goes well.

Needless to say I'm very sweet about that particular race. It isn't the fact that they won in a time quite a bit quicker than the King George or that they left the others a long way back. These things can often happen where top novice and group 1 races are on the same card. What doesn't usually happen in such races is where the novices keep tabs on the clock when they start to race in earnest.

Even allowing for the 3lbs less Grands Crus covered the run to the line only slightly slower than Kauto despite not having nearly as hard a race having put the race to bed before the home turn. I'm not sure he'll ever be a Gold Cup horse. I didn't think he'd get home in the Sun Alliance and that appeared to at least partly explain his capitulation. I do think this is the race for him and the one connections will target.

Long Run I never seem to catch right but he didn't seem to have any excuses in last years King George. At the time I thought he may have wanted further but he hardly powered up the hill in the Gold Cup.

For various reasons most of the rest don't appeal. Riverside is good but is he that good? Finians and one or two others who may be tempted by the step up in trip may find that the race conditions of the King George are deceiving. For a flat course that particular race is a searching one to be seeing if a horse will truly get the trip and have the class.

Can't wait for things to get started. Roll on that first Chepstow meeting.