Fehily returns ahead of historic Kauto ‘King George’ bid
The return of National Hunt racing after the vicious cold spell that has left the sport paralyzed for most of the last two weeks, coincides with the return to the saddle of Irishman Noel Fehily, who has been passed fit to ride again after sustaining a nasty injury in a fall at Newbury last month, writes Elliot Slater.
Those regularly placing a horse racing bet are aware that Fehily has been desperate to take the ride on dual champion chaser Master Minded in the re-arranged Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Cheltenham, a horse who runs in the green, yellow and purple combination colours of owner Clive Smith, the man who has enjoyed so many great moments as owner of the mighty Kauto Star.
Assuming all goes well for Fehily, and that the wrist that sustained severe bruising but was not broken as first feared in the fall from Rivaliste at the Berkshire track on November 26 is now fully recovered, the man standing in for trainer Paul Nicholls’ stable jockey Ruby Walsh (who is sidelined until the end of January with a broken leg), will be building up to taking the ride on Kauto Star in the feature William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
It will doubtless be highly frustrating for Walsh to watch from the stands as the 10-year-old gelding bids to make racing history in winning the ‘King George’ for a record fifth year in a succession, Walsh having been in the saddle for each of the French-bred gelding’s previous four successes. Fehily however, has done a great job of filling Walsh’s not inconsiderable shoes, and few in racing would suggest that Nicholls’ great horse will lack anything from the saddle.
Kauto Star remains a shade of odds-on for the Kempton feature at 10/11, with Nicky Henderson’s Long Run, winner of the Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Chase over course and distance 12 months ago, a solid 5/1 second favourite with the horse racing odds.
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