George hopeful Double Shuffle can sparkle once again in King George cracker

Last year only a length separated Might Bite and Double Shuffle at the finish of the 32Red King George VI Chase, but you would never have guessed it from a look at the betting on this year's Christmas cracker at Kempton.

While Might Bite is 5-2 favourite to retain his crown on Wednesday, Double Shuffle has again been dismissed by the bookmakers. He returned a 50-1 chance 12 months ago and this time can be backed at a general 33-1 for the Grade 1 showpiece.

Although winless since taking a handicap chase at Kempton's Christmas meeting two years ago, the combination of a return to his favourite track and better ground could help Double Shuffle outrun his odds once more.

"It was a bad start falling at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall," admitted trainer Tom George on Sunday. "It was too soft for him the other day at Aintree but he still put in a good show [to be second to Definitly Red].

"That would have put him spot on for this. He's as good as we can have him, loves Kempton, and good to soft ground is about right for him."

Ten were declared for the King George on Sunday, with Shattered Love, who runs at Leopardstown instead, the only horse to come out.

Double Shuffle is not the only stable star on show for George at Kempton, with The Worlds End taking his chance in the 32Red Kauto Star Novices' Chase.

With Bags Groove, La Bague Au Roi and Santini also among seven declared, Wednesday's Grade 1 is a red-hot renewal.

Speaking immediately after The Worlds End's dominant victory at Cheltenham earlier in the month, George felt Kempton might be a bit sharp for the seven-year-old, but he has had a change of heart after further consideration.

"We weren't planning on running him but Cheltenham didn't take anything out of him," the trainer explained. "Physically, to the eye, he seems absolutely full of it. There are zero opportunities for him after this until February, when it could be heavy ground, so we thought we'd best take our chance and give him some more experience while we can.

"I said that Kempton might be a bit sharp for him but we thought about it and he's arrived there swinging in stayers' hurdles, he's not that slow. I think he'll raise his game when he needs to."

The Big Bite completes a trio of top contenders for George, with the unbeaten hurdler lining up in the opening novice contest, another really competitive-looking event.

An easy winner at Chepstow and Haydock this season, Wednesday's race will be a bigger challenge, with other unexposed types in the field, and George is keen to see where the son of Scorpion rates.

"He didn't have to do much to win at Haydock last time," he said. "This is probably a step up again but he's an exciting horse.

"We had the Tolworth in mind but I'm terrified what the ground might be like at Sandown. This will tell us what direction we should be going, whether we stay at two miles or go over a little bit further. He'll get further."

Kempton clerk of the course Barney Clifford is still expecting good to soft ground come Wednesday, with the track receiving some rain on Sunday, when it was still described as good to soft.

"We had 4mm of rain in the morning, with a bit more rain forecast tonight," Clifford said on Sunday afternoon.

"I think it'll be good to soft in the main. There's probably some good ground while the ground by the lake will ride on the softer side, but good to soft would cover it all off.

"The track looks in great nick and it's mild, which is fantastic. It'll be overcast, with temperatures in the region of eight to ten degrees."

Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going, weather, market moves and non-runner news