RACING/King George VI Chase: With Best Mate heading to Ireland for his Christmas engagement, the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton is at the mercy of French raider First Gold.

Francois Doumen's 10-year-old will be bidding for a second win in the showpiece event after strolling to victory in the 2000 renewal. He was an impressive 10-length winner that day but he then suffered an injury and lost his way a bit.

First Gold, owned by the legendary JP McManus, looked to be coming back to his best at the end of last season, though, marking his rebirth with a facile success in the Martell Cognac Cup at Aintree in April.

He then followed up at the Punchestown Festival with another really impressive win in the Heineken Gold Cup Chase.

Although the field was not the strongest that day, he still beat some fair performers, jumping well and looking a different horse after the application of blinkers.

First Gold's return to action was in a hurdle race at Auteuil last month and although he could only finish fifth that day, the ground was really heavy and probably did not suit.

That outing should have put First Gold spot on for this race and he can see off fellow French-trained horse Jair Du Cochet, who is set to go off a hot favourite for the big race.

Jair Du Cochet, a best-priced 7 to 4 chance, has been a leading fancy for the three-mile contest ever since Guillaume Macaire's charge defeated Best Mate in the Tote Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon in November.

"He's in good form - the same form as last time in the Peterborough Chase," his trainer said yesterday.

"But of course a race is a race and especially a three-mile chase. There are plenty of fences to jump perfectly to have the horse ready to give his best on the run-in."

Jair Du Cochet is a course and distance winner having landed the Feltham Novices' Chase on the King George card 12 months ago. Macaire continued: "It was good for him last year to win the Grade One novice. All the lights are green and now we need to have a little bit of luck during the race."

Henrietta Knight may have opted to skip the race with Best Mate but she has an able deputy in Edredon Bleu. And judged by the gelding's performances so far this season, he has earned the opportunity to prove his stamina over three miles. Rather than going backward as he nears pensionable age, the 11-year-old has been a revelation, winning all three of his starts - most memorably when defeating Irish star Beef Or Salmon at Clonmel.

But they will all have to play second fiddle to First Gold.

Strong Flow is hard to oppose in the Network Design Feltham Novices' Chase. Trainer Paul Nicholls has opted to take the easier option rather than risk the six-year-old in the King George.

And, in theory, he looks to be head and shoulders above his rivals here judged on his win in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup last time.

Strong Flow made just one bad jumping error that day and his 14-length success marked him out as a top-class horse. The gelding's only defeat over fences came when he fell at Aintree in October but his jumping looks to be sound now and he can land this Grade One event.

Intersky Falcon can take the Jobs Pertemps City Christmas Hurdle for the second year running. Jonjo O'Neill's charge, who is part-owned by Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, can make up for a disappointing show last time out in this two-mile event.

The six-year-old was a big letdown at Newcastle last month when only third behind The French Furze in the Pertemps "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle but he was really very keen early on and just ran out of petrol coming to the last.

Previous to that, he had looked in good heart when winning the John James McManus Memorial Hurdle at Tipperary in October. A return to that kind of form and a little bit of rain before Friday can see him back on the winning track.

At Wetherby, Flagship Uberalles looks the one to be on in the skybetvegas.com Castleford Chase. Philip Hobbs' nine-year-old ran an admirable race in defeat when finishing 11 lengths behind Moscow Flyer in the Tingle Creek Trophy last time. If he can show that kind of form here, he should take home this Grade Two prize.