Paul Nicholls has ruled out getting another run into See More Business before the Pertemps King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
See More Business is reported to be 'in great order' as Nicholls prepares him for the Kempton showpiece, which he will be bidding to win for the third time in four years.
The Ditcheat trainer had tried to enter See More Business for the rescheduled James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal this Saturday, but was not allowed to do so.
'He is in great order,' said Nicholls. 'So much so that I did actually try and get him entered in the race at Down Royal.
'He`s in great shape and in view of not being able to run this weekend there`s no point running him before Kempton.'
Nicholls is hoping that the ground at Kempton remains soft for the 50th running of the King George, which this year boasts record prize money of #150,000 to six places.
He said: 'Stamina is a forte for him. He would need the ground soft at Kempton. It`s nogood it being quick ground on Boxing Day, it being an easy three miles. So I hope it keeps on raining.'
See More Business is the 11-4 favourite for the King George with Coral Eurobet, whose quote of 20-1 for stablemate Ad Hoc was slammed as 'ludicrous' by Nicholls.
'He fell the other day in a handicap running off a rating of 130, and that`s way off running in a King George,' he said.
Entries for the King George close next Wednesday, but French ace Francois Doumen, who has won the race four times, announced that First Gold, a horse he described as 'an extra-terrestrial,' was a definite runner.
First Gold, a dual winner of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, is an 11-2 chance with Coral and Doumen revealed that his money is already down.
The French trainer said: 'I was delighted with the way First Gold won the Prix La Haye Jousselin at Auteil last time and he was very impressive the time before.
'He has improved a lot from last season and now we`re off to the King George. The bets have been made for the race.
'First Gold is an extra-terrestrial and a horse with enormous potential.'
First Gold`s credentials were endorsed by Tony McCoy, who said: 'I saw him win at Auteuil and he was very impressive. You`d very definitely be frightened of him. And French horses have a very good record in this race.'
McCoy expects to be searching for an outside ride in his quest to win the King George for the first time as Martin Pipe does not have an obvious contender at this stage.
Cyfor Malta, a 10-1 chance for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Victor Chandler is returning from injury and does not have the King George on the agenda, while McCoy watered down speculation that last Saturday`s Thomas Pink Gold Cup winner Lady Cricket could enter calculations.
The champion jockey said: 'Cyfor Malta is touch wood okay, but it looks like he wouldn`t go for the King George, as he has to run on a left-handed track, as he has a tendency to jump that way. Kempton wouldn`t be ideal for him.
'And Lady Cricket would have to improve a good bit to run in a race like that.'
