King Looks Ahead

Voy Por Ustedes will enjoy a well-deserved break after regaining the winning thread at Kempton over the Christmas period.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase hero suffered a surprise even-money reverse at the hands of Twist Magic in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, but showed his well-being with an authoritative success in the Desert Orchid Chase.

Trainer Alan King said: 'It was a big relief. He's in great form and he won it well.

'He'll have a mid-winter break and come back for the Game Spirit I would imagine (at Newbury on February 9).

'Twist Magic was very impressive at Sandown, but we are the reigning champion and if he gets decent ground he'll give a good account.'

Voy Por Ustedes' success gave King quick compensation for the agonising defeat of Halcon Genelardais in the Coral Welsh National just minutes earlier at Chepstow.

The seven-year-old valiantly attempted to give weight all round in his bid for back-to-back wins in the marathon contest, but was reeled in close home by Miko De Beauchene after a mistake at the last.

While it was a tremendous effort by King's charge, the result was to prove an emotional one as Miko De Beauchene is trained by Robert Alner, who is currently recovering in hospital following a serious car crash.

King told At The Races: 'It was agonising to see it snatched away. It was a great weight carrying performance, but if we had to get beat it could not have been by better people.

'It was the only fence he missed in the whole race. You won't see him until March now. He'll have an entry in the Gold Cup, but he would only run if it came up very soft, otherwise he'll go for the Midlands National (March 15).'

A major recent disappointment for King has been My Way De Solzen, a distant fifth in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and pulled up in the King George at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.

King was quick to blame himself for the Haydock eclipse, where he felt he had left the seven-year-old some way short of peak fitness.

But the King George flop remains a mystery.

He explained: 'We haven't found anything with him. He travelled really well at Haydock and jumped great and it was only three out that he blew up.

'Haydock was disappointing but there was a reason for that. Kempton is the only time he has let me down.

'I'm treating him for ulcers, but that's a stab in the dark.

'You might see him over hurdles at the end of January, I might run him in the Cleeve (on January 26) at a track (Cheltenham) he loves.'

(C) PA Sport