O'Brien reflects on King George Joseph O'Brien was pragmatic in reflecting upon the King George at Kempton on St Stephen's Day, where his Banbridge was beaten by just a nose. A Gracious Response to a Narrow Defeat Successful in the prestigious contest 12 months ago, the admirable chestnut had to settle for the runner-up berth this time round, with The Jukebox Man just coming out on top. In what was an extraordinary finish to the Grade 1 contest, Gaelic Warrior was just a nose off the front pair in third, with Jango Baie a further half-a-length back in fourth. "It was a fantastic run. It's always frustrating to get that close, but when you jump the last in front and are within a short-head with a stride to go, you can't really ask for more," O'Brien reflected. "It's a special race, and what racing is all about is being able to compete in those races. Sometimes you come out the right side of it, and sometimes the wrong side of it." Future Targets and Potential Aintree Aim On future plans he added: "I'd say he'll probably go straight to Aintree. That would be my immediate thought. He will have entries at Cheltenham and we'll see closer to the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes straight to Aintree or has a prep at home before it." Additional reporting by Alan Magee
