However, the current campaign has not gone to plan so far this term with the eight-year-old suffering odds-on defeats in both the Charlie Hall at Wetherby and the Betfair Chase at Haydock.įrodon, winner of the race in 2020, gives Nicholls a second string to his bow, with regular partner Bryony Frost taking the ride. The four-time Grade One winner heads a six-strong field, with last year’s victor Bravemansgame returning to defend his title for Paul Nicholls. “Vautour jumped a little left and that probably cost him on the day, so hopefully it doesn’t cost Allaho.” His Ryanair wins were Vautour-esque and of course Vautour just got nabbed in the King George (by Cue Card in 2015).

Janidil is a fair horse and he beat him well. “He’s nine, going 10, coming back from a year off the track, so it’s hard to think he’s still at his very best, but hopefully he might still be good enough to win.”Īllaho’s comeback victory at Clonmel appeared more solid than spectacular to the naked eye, but Mullins said: “I think that was maybe an underrated performance. He’s probably a little bit better going left-handed, as he does jump a bit to his left, but he won around Punchestown. “Since he won the Punchestown Gold Cup and showed he can stay three miles, the King George has definitely been on the radar, and with his owners it’s a nice fit,” Mullins said at Ascot on Saturday. He did, however, make a successful return in the Clonmel Oil Chase in early November – and while Mullins admits he may struggle to recover his previous brilliance, he feels he should still put up a bold show, as he looks to provide his father Willie with a third win in the festive highlight following the previous triumphs of Florida Pearl in 2001 and Tornado Flyer two years ago. Two brilliant performances in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and a 14-length demolition job in the Punchestown Gold Cup are testament to the Cheveley Park Stud-owned nine-year-old’s talent, but he then spent over a year on the sidelines after suffering a rare spleen problem.

Patrick Mullins is optimistic that Allaho retains enough of his undoubted ability to strike gold in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

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