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“If it goes the way it went last year, with no health problems, then I think he’ll be very difficult to beat.”
Noel George's confidence behind his stable star Il Est Francais is evidently growing as the talented six-year-old gears up to spearhead a three-pronged French attack in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm-trained contender will bid to become the first horse to win the UK's festive feature from France since First Gold waltzed his way to a ten-length victory over Florida Pearl for trainer François Doumen in 2000.
Although clearly already well known by locals for his exploits at Auteuil as a four-year-old, Il Est Francais burst onto the global scene when producing a scintillating round of jumping in the Kauto Star Novices' Chase (Gr.1) on this card twelve months ago.
It was a performance that had a future King George VI Chase (Gr.1) winner written all over it. Plenty could have foreseen Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm's gelding going off favourite for the Boxing Day prize at that stage, but few could predict that Il Est Francais would be heading the market twelve months later having been virtually pulled up on two of his last three outings.
What looked like a routine task in the Grade 2 Prix Murat back on home soil in April quickly turned into a shock defeat when Il Est Francais dropped tamely away from his four rivals approaching the second last, while regular rider James Revely was forced to ease his mount out of contention on the second circuit of the French autumn centrepiece Prix la Haye Jousselin last month.
However, a good piece of recent homework combined with clear veterinary tests has meant that Il Est Francais returns with the opportunity to show what he is truly capable of back at the same venue where he won the Kauto Star Novices' Chase in a time five seconds faster than Hewick won the King George last year.
"The horse is in great form, he's got an unbelievable coat on him and everything we've asked of him since (being pulled at Auteuil last month), he has passed with flying colours," said a bullish Noel George when speaking on a zoom call organised by the Jockey Club.
"There's been a lot of work gone into him with my vets and my staff and we've got the green light since his last piece of work, so we're looking forward to bringing him back to Kempton.
"He burst a blood vessel last time. It's not the first time he's done it and every time it's happened, it's been at Auteuil. We're just hoping he can put in the performance he did last year at Kempton, he seems in the same form, and if he does, we've got a great chance.
"The most important thing is the horse doesn't do it at home, which he never has. It's happened a couple of times and only ever at the races, so all we can do is avoid it happening at home, which it never does.
"Maybe certain circumstances might cause it, but we know that he loves Kempton."
Conditions continue to dry at the Sunbury venue, but it seems that only fills George with further confidence.
"He's a horse who wins his races through his jumping exuberance and his stride, so he's definitely better on good ground than heavy.
"He's won Grade 1s over hurdles dropping in over the first three or four obstacles and then letting him bowl along. I think the main thing is, that you don't want to work against him, if he wants to bowl and wing fences, then let him do that.
"If he gets into the rhythm he did last year, then it will be difficult to lay up with him. He's always maturing, he's only six, so he is bigger and stronger and more mature physically. The horse looks great."
Il Est Francais has been the subject of plenty of market support in recent days and is now as short as 7/2 with race sponsor Ladbrokes, while fellow French challengers Juntos Ganamos and General En Chef are 25/1 and 66/1.
The latter is also trained by Noel George, who is clearly expecting him to outrun his current odds on the back of a highly promising UK debut fourth in the Coral Gold Cup (Handicap) at Newbury last time.
"I think he's going to run a massive race," said George. "I've never had him as good as he is. His first ever run over British fences, he was fourth in the Hennessy (Coral Gold Cup),"
"He probably got there a little bit too soon. We're going to drop him in, we know it will be an end-to-end gallop and it's an easier finish than at Newbury.
"I think he's definitely got a good place chance anyway.
"He didn't start once at Auteuil and always had the hood on. Because he didn't start, I took the hood off, but he hasn't quite been seeing out his races, so I've put the hood back on to help him relax and if he did hit the front, the cheekpieces are there to hopefully mean that he stays there.
"They are both half English-owned. We're not going to come over for Mickey Mouse races but if you can be competitive in a race like the King George, it's a dream for any owner."
The David Cottin-trained Juntos Ganamos rounds out the French challenge. A seven-time winner from his eleven outings over fences in France, Juntos Ganamos did well to finish third in the Grade 1 Prix la Haye Jousselin after making a sizeable mistake five fences from home.
"I think he's a very good horse with a lot of class, I'm hoping I'm not wrong," said Cottin, who returns to England having saddled Jet Blue to land a Grade 2 victory at Cheltenham's latest meeting.
"Last time when he ran, he made a mistake at a crucial point in the race. Despite that, it was a good performance, and I hope he can reproduce that.
"He made a mistake with five furlongs to run and that's where he lost the race, I think he could have won without that.
"I don't think he has to run from the front, he can also be ridden from behind – like any good horse, he can adapt to the race.
"I'm happy with the ground, most importantly it will be a race with a lot of pace and that is what my horse needs, as that suits him down to the ground.
"I'm not saying we are going to win, but I'm coming with a horse who is in good form."
