Frodon set to be part of three-pronged King George bid for Nicholls

Graham Clark
December 13, 2020 3:38 pm

Former Ryanair hero joining Clan Des Obeaux and Cyrname on big Kempton card.

Frodon is on course to further strengthen trainer Paul Nicholls already enviable hand in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton.

The 2019 Ryanair Chase winner is being readied to join Clan Des Obeaux, winner of the Grade One prize for the past two years, and fellow stablemate Cyrname, in the Boxing Day showpiece.

After successfully carrying top-weight in a handicap on his return at Cheltenham, the Paul Vogt-owned eight-year-old beat only one home back at Grade Two level in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree – a run Nicholls is keen to put a line through.

Unstoppable!
🐎 Frodon made all with Bryony Frost on-board to land the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase for trainer @PFNicholls 👏 pic.twitter.com/CQ7TLCjnag
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) October 24, 2020

Nicholls said: “It was almost a waste of time going to Aintree as the same thing happened there last season in the Old Roan with the fences in the home straight taken out.

“He will run in the King George I would imagine next, as the owner is keen to have a go there.

“He took the race fine at Aintree fine, but he just threw his toys out of the pram when he got headed. It doesn’t suit him when those fences come out.

“I should have phoned up and said take him out as taking fences out for a horse like him that jumps well doesn’t help.”

A trip to Kempton is on the cards for Shloer Chase runner-up Duc Des Genievres and also Diego Du Charmil, with the Ditcheat handler earmarking the Grade Two Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase on December 27 for the pair.

He said: “This is the ideal race to run Duc Des Genievres and Diego Du Charmil will go there as well.

“Duc Des Genievres did surprise me how well he ran in the Shloer.

“He is bound to have come on for it and if the ground had been slightly better at Cheltenham on the last day he would have just about lasted home.”

Greaneteen will have a short break before being aimed at the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Tingle Creek runner-up Greaneteen will bid to add to his Haldon Gold Cup success at Exeter by advancing his Queen Mother Champion Chase claims in the Grade Two Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February.

Nicholls said: “The plan is to leave Greaneteen until the Game Spirit. He is only a six-year-old and he has already had a couple of hard races and I don’t want to overdo it with him.

“There is a lot to come from him yet and he will definitely be treated as a Queen Mother horse.

“He will keep on improving, he just wasn’t good enough on the day in the Tingle Creek but he is taking steps forwards all the time and slightly better ground would suit him.”