Back-to-form Footpad looking for lucky seventh Grade 1 win in King George

3.05 Kempton
Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1) | 3m, 4yo+ | ITV/RTV

A boomerang may not always come back but Boomerang Chase winner Footpad certainly has and he is now bidding for a seventh Grade 1 success as Ireland's sole representative in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase.

Footpad was an outstanding novice chaser in 2017-18 but last season was an anticlimax for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede's seven-year-old as he failed to win in three outings.

But he looked more like his old self at Thurles last month, bounding home an easy ten-length winner under the now-sidelined Daryl Jacob.

Barry Geraghty, twice a King George VI Chase winner on Kicking King, is on board as Footpad races over three miles for the first time since finishing a well-held third behind Unowhatimeanharry in the Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in 2017.

"Going three miles will be a first for him over fences but he did win over two miles six at Thurles," said trainer Willie Mullins, who sent out 2001 King George winner Florida Pearl.

"We're just hoping he acquits himself well and how he performs will help tell us what route will take with him later in the season."

Venetia Williams won the King George with Teeton Mill in 1998 and is not overly optimistic of repeating that feat with Aso 21 years on.

This is a good time of year for Aso as he has won three times over the festive period, but none of those victories came over further than 2m4½f – a trip he finished second over in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham last spring.

"He has run well over three miles at Kempton before but this time he is going into a very competitive race," Williams said. "He also tends to run his best races at Cheltenham."

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