King George still possible for Ad Hoc

Whitbread Gold Cup winner Ad Hoc will run at Ascot tomorrow - but a tilt at the Pertemps King George VI Chase on Boxing Day has still not been ruled out.

The seven-year-old will take on Shooting Light, impressive winner of the Thomas Pink Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month, in the 10-runner Stg£50,000-added Tote Silver Cup (Showcase Handicap).

Ad Hoc, trained by Paul Nicholls, finished unplaced in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance early this month.

Barry Simpson, racing manager to the gelding`s owner Sir Robert Ogden, said today: 'There are an awful lot of opportunities for a horse like Ad Hoc at the moment and we took the view that he might not be up to the quality of some of the top horses in the King George this year.

'Being realistic, we are looking at a horse rated 149 taking on two at the top who are rated 175 or 178. We have got an awful lot to prove.

'We would run well in the King George and there is still a possibility that he might go for a King George. We will wait for the outcome tomorrow.

'We don`t want to overface him at this time of the year - that`s the thinking.'

He added: 'It is a hugely competitive race tomorrow and Martin Pipe`s horse (Shooting Light) is the one we have got to beat - he won with great authority at Cheltenham last time - but there are plenty of other good horses.

'We consider we have got a fair chance. He seems to have come on for his run in the Hennessy. He jumped well and travelled well but just ran out of steam because it was his first run of the season.

'He is always a horse that pleases well in his work and it would be very easy to pitch him in at the deep end very quickly.

'If he had won the Hennessy - and won it well - we would have gone straight for the King George.

'We don`t want to run beyond tomorrow. We will see what happens tomorrow and we have got until Sunday morning to decide whether to go for the King George.'