Back at last: Kemboy makes eagerly awaited return in Savills Chase

Savills Chase (Grade 1) | 3m | 5yo+ | RTV & RTE2

Not since Beef Or Salmon sent the Leopardstown crowd wild back in 2005 has a horse managed to record back-to-back successes in the Savills Chase but Kemboy will try to channel the ghosts of Christmases past as he bids to do just that.

Fortune favoured the brave 12 months ago when David Mullins, unhappy with the sedate early pace, decided to take the bull by the horns when taking up the running with a circuit to go.

It proved a race-winning move, as Kemboy jumped and travelled like a buck and never came back to the field.

After exiting the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the first, Kemboy had to wait for Aintree and Punchestown to prove his Leopardstown triumph was no fluke, and he was certainly worth the wait.

After burning off his Betway Bowl rivals, which included Clan Des Obeaux, Kemboy went to Punchestown to dish out a beating to his Gold Cup-winning stablemate Al Boum Photo in an epic that proved to be Ruby Walsh's last dance.

Nobody is questioning Kemboy now, and he's worthy of his position at the head of the market but, crucially, through no fault of his own, the seven-year-old missed an intended engagement at Down Royal last month.

It's worth noting Kemboy came into this race 12 months ago off the back of a cosy win in the Clonmel Oil Chase. Time has proved him to be an outstanding staying chaser but he faces a field well capable of taking advantage of any ring-rustiness.

Nothing that happened in Thursday's King George at Kempton would have dissuaded confidence in any of the Irish trainers with a Gold Cup hope, not least Noel Meade.

Road To Respect was four lengths too good for Clan Des Obeaux in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on his comeback.

However, doubts linger about his ability to build on that performance given he was equally impressive in taking the Down Royal showpiece last season without being able to replicate such form throughout the campaign.

The market suggests Road To Respect, winner of this race in 2017, is the Gigginstown number one but Gordon Elliott has already gone on record in predicting a much better showing from Delta Work after his below-par reappearance.

Delta Work, a three-time Grade 1-winning novice chaser, including over course and distance when landing the Neville Hotels Chase last Christmas, jumped poorly on his return, finishing a long way adrift of Road To Respect in fourth.

The vibes seem to suggest Delta Work can leave that run behind and if there's one horse who looks unexposed and capable of making the jump required to be considered a genuine Gold Cup contender, then he's the one.

Should Gigginstown win the Savills Chase for a fifth time, it will probably be with Road To Respect or Delta Work as Balko Des Flos, who finished second in 2017, has been struggling for a while and appears to have his work cut out to figure in a race as deep as this.

Eddie O'Leary believes Balko Des Flos was a victim of unseasonably quick ground last season, which brings us to Presenting Percy, whose Gold Cup campaign was over before it even began, largely because of the ground.

Pat Kelly’s charge proved that the engine still purrs nicely when third over an inadequate 2m4f in the John Durkan Chase this month and those closest to the former RSA Chase winner are confident of improvement.

The field is completed by Kemboy's stablemate Bellshill, Monalee for the in-form De Bromhead team, Jett, who has a lot to find on ratings, and Anibale Fly, who is due a big one having filled the frame in the last two Gold Cups.

What the stats say

There have to be doubts about how ready Kemboy is for battle especially as Willie Mullins tends to use this race as a springboard for the Irish Gold Cup and the big spring festivals. Ireland's champion trainer has won the Irish Gold Cup, run over this course and distance in six weeks' time, on ten occasions but has snared this contest only twice before.

Even then, it took Mullins until 2015 to fill the notable void when Don Poli came out best while Kemboy, with the benefit of a run, secured the second of those wins last year.

It's quite the opposite for Noel Meade, who tends to target this race and, as well as winning with Road To Respect in 2017, the trainer has also been successful with Road To Riches (2014), Pandorama (2010) and Johnny Setaside (1996).

What they say

Tony Martin, trainer of Anibale Fly
He seems to have been in good form since the John Durkan and on the best of his form he's entitled to be there. It looks a hard race but we're hopeful of a good run.

Road To Respect beats Clan Des Obeaux in the Champion Chase at Down RoyalCredit: Patrick McCann

Eddie O’Leary, racing manager to Gigginstown House Stud, owners of Road To Respect, Delta Work and Balko Des Flos
Noel Meade thinks Road To Respect is in very good form and he acts well over course and distance. Delta Work needs to come back to himself after a poor start at Down Royal but Gordon Elliott seems to be happy with him. We haven't seen the best of Balko Des Flos for a long time but it's worth remembering he ran a very big race in the Savills before. He was a victim of the ground situation all last season and jarred his shoulders on the quick ground.

Philip Reynolds, owner of Presenting Percy
He ran the race we were hoping for in the John Durkan and he’s come on a lot for it. We’re very hopeful and whatever happens we’ll have no excuses as the ground and the trip will suit him perfectly.

‘Time for Kemboy to do the talking’

Brett Graham, one of the main shareholders in Kemboy, believes it's time for the Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite to do the talking after the seven-year-old's previous owners Supreme Horse Racing Club were barred from owning horses.

HRI accepted new registrations for seven horses previously belonging to the club, including Kemboy, last month but, according to Graham, there were times where the owners feared they wouldn't see their pride and joy race again this season.

The New York-based businessman said: "There are so many owners who are delighted to be back racing again. Now it's back to what it should be about, which is the horse, the trainer and the jockey.

“There was a long time where we thought this moment would never come and it was a gruelling and painful process to get everything sorted, but the good news is that the horse will be back racing for his proper owners again. He's in great hands with Willie Mullins and now it's up to the horse to do the talking.”

Brett Graham (left) pictured with Kemboy, Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins after Grade 1 success at Aintree in April

Asked if the hold-up in re-registering Kemboy has had any knock-on effects to his training, Graham revealed: “Nothing about what was going on in the background has impacted him in any way. He may have had a race before the Savills, but other than that his training wouldn't have been any different.”

Graham added: “There are about 20 owners who have identified themselves and there is still a lot of work to be done. All of the effort up until this point was behind getting him re-registered, so Kemboy could run this Christmas, and we're delighted to be back talking about horseracing again.”

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