Marlborough ruled out of King George Nicky Henderson today confirmed that Marlborough will miss next week`s Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton but reports that the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup is firmly on the agenda.Marlborough was due to run in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup earlier this month but was ruled out of the Newbury feature when he suffered a trapped epiglotis - a rare throat problem - which needed surgery.It was immediately feared that he would be out of action until the New Year and, while he has in fact made a quicker recovery than was anticipated, Henderson said: 'We could have very nearly got him there (Kempton) with a push.'But if things had gone wrong we could have set things back and I have spoken to his owner Sir Robert Ogden and we have decided to take the more gentle line with him.'The Lambourn trainer added: 'He is very, very well and everything will be geared to Cheltenham now and there are several possibilities for him in the New Year.'There is the Pillar at Cheltenham, the Aon Chase at Newbury and of course the Wincanton race (Jim Ford), which he won last season, so we will have to see.'Despite Marlborough`s absence from the Pertemps King George V1 Chase, Sir Robert Ogden`s colours are likely to be carried in the Kempton Grade One feature on Boxing Day.Marlborough`s stable companion Ad Hoc and Fadalko will be left in the race at Wednesday`s confirmation stage, and Sir Robert`s racing manager Barry Simpson said: 'Both could run, but Ad Hoc is also in the Tote Silver Cup at Ascot on Saturday.'He has come on a lot for his run in the Hennessy, he needed it there so we will have a look at the weights and see what Sir Robert and Nicky (Henderson) want to do.'Looking further ahead, Simpson went on: 'Then in the New Year, the Pillar Chase (Cheltenham), the Racing Post Chase (Kempton), the Cheltenham Gold Cup and perhaps the Grand National are races we will have a look at.'Reflecting on the King George plans, he went on: 'We would run four if we thought they all had chances. Fadalko (trained by Paul Nicholls) travels well and jumps well and I think he will stay three miles on a sharp track like Kempton.'
