'A year too soon' - Imperial Aura team resist King George with Ryanair the aim

Despite only the powerhouse Paul Nicholls pair of Clan Des Obeaux and Cyrname being shorter in the sponsor's betting for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase, connections of Imperial Aura are all but certain to resist the temptation of a supplementary entry into the Christmas highlight.

Successful in the now defunct novice handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Imperial Aura took his form to another level when impressing with a lethal round of jumping in the Grade 2 1965 Chase at Ascot on Saturday – a performance that helped him assume favouritism for March's Ryanair Chase.

Trainer Kim Bailey and the seven-strong Imperial Racing syndicate that own the nimble seven-year-old are set to work back from the Ryanair and swerve a £5,000 supplementary option for next month's King George at Kempton, which Ladbrokes would make him 6-1 for behind 5-2 joint-favourites Clan Des Obeaux and Cyrname.