Top chaser Might Bite still on track for King George defence on Boxing Day after Haydock flop

MIGHT BITE has been “schooling brilliantly” ahead of a recovery mission to defend his 32Red King George crown at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Last year’s Gold Cup runner-up bombed out on his return to action in the Betfair Chase when big-race jockey Nico de Boinville blamed the size and shape of the Haydock fences.

He trailed in last of the five runners behind Bristol De Mai but trainer Nicky Henderson is confident it was only a blip.

He said: “I think he’s back but I thought that before Haydock – I just don’t think the place worked for him.

"It was sad at Haydock - you don’t need to see them getting bruised like that.

“There was a very good picture of him jumping the second fence, which Nico said was the biggest on the track.

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“No excuses – they were big fences for big horses - but it flummoxed him. He lost all rhythm.

"When you see him going around Kempton and Cheltenham the whole thing just flows.

“He should have been able to do it but he couldn’t. He just needed to get his confidence back but he was brilliant schooling last week.

“He’ll school again this week but he doesn’t need any remedial work.”

Stablemate Altior – who stretched his unbeaten run to 15 in Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase – is entered in the King George but is unlikely to run according to Henderson.

He said: “I’m not for it.

“He was very lame on Sunday morning because he lost a shoe and pricked himself at Sandown but he’s 100 per cent sound now.

“He won well but in that ground I can’t believe he didn’t have a hard race underneath it.”

Paul Nicholls will fire two Boxing Day bullets in attempt to win his tenth King George.

Sam Twiston-Davies will keep the ride on Politologue after defeating subsequent Edredon Bleu winner Charbel in an Ascot Grade 2 last month.

Stable jockey Harry Cobden will partner Clan Des Obeaux – fourth in the Betfair Chase.

Nicholls said: “I think they’re both happy with that.

“Politologue has never run over 3m.

“We’ll find out on Boxing Day but I don’t see it being a problem. He’s bred to stay.

“He loves right-handed, flat tracks and his form is red-hot. I think he’s better now that he’s ever been.

“I was thrilled with Clan Des Obeaux at Haydock. He’ll be slightly better going right-handed and he’s a horse we haven’t seen the best of.”