O`NEILL HOPING FOR LEGAL START

Trainer Jonjo O`Neill is hoping that Legal Right can take his place in the line-up for the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton a week tomorrow.

O`Neill`s stable star is notoriously difficult to train but defied his recurrent leg problems and top weight to land the Tote Silver Cup at Ascot on Saturday,

Legal Right, who was having his first run for over a year at Ascot, was not sound 24 hours later but O`Neill reported himself happy with the seven-year-old`s condition.

The trainer, himself suffering from a bad bout of flu, said on Sunday: 'He was definitely better than me yesterday but I think it`s 50-50 today!

'We`re both crocks this morning - he`s not too bad and he`s eaten up which is good.

'I`m not worried that he`s crocked up, that`s normal for him.

'I`m delighted the way he has come back. You`d probably laugh at that if you saw him - but it`s good for him.'

Legal Right was cut to 7-1 for the King George by Ladbrokes following his 15-length defeat of Royal Predica and O`Neill is considering a crack at the race.

However, he stressed that plans must be made on a day-to-day basis for his delicate charge.

'He`s in the King George and we`ll obviously have to look at it,' O`Neill said.

'It`s maybe coming a bit quick but we`ll give him a swim over the next few days and see how we get on and play it by ear.

'If everything goes right we`ll probably go.

'When he`s right you`ve got to go with him and easy ground is important.

'All things being equal and if everything goes right the King George is a priority so we`ll hope for the best.

'But you can`t make plans. He drives you mad but I`m glad to have him.'