'I'm sure there'll be something amiss' - Il Est Francais team bewildered by lacklustre display in shock defeat

Of all the potential pitfalls lurking ahead of his first racecourse appearance since stunning Kempton's Boxing Day crowd, the emergence of a physical issue was not high on most people's list of likely threats to Il Est Francais in the Prix Murat. 

And yet, whether your lifetime working with horses stretches as far back as Noel George's, or considerably further in the case of his father Tom, the chance of something going wrong with the thoroughbred at the worst possible moment is omnipresent. 

The stark facts of a disappointing afternoon for all involved with Il Est Francais is that he went from appearing to be in control at the head of his four rivals turning out of the back straight to paddling on the spot by the time the field levelled up for home.

For George and training partner Amanda Zetterholm – and for the rest of us in the stands – the exact moment when the motor began to splutter was hidden from view by the landscaping that follows the sweep of the bottom bend. 

But the man on top, James Reveley, was in no doubt that something more than a lack of race-fitness on cloying ground was to blame as Il Est Francais slowed to a virtual halt; obliged to jump the last only because his route to pulling up down the length of the fence was barred by a tiring rival. 

"I’m sure there’ll be something amiss because it was too bad to be true really," said Reveley. "I was happy enough throughout the race, I wanted to change tactics, drop in and get him settled looking towards the Grand Steeple. I didn’t think we went very fast and he did a big jump at the Riviere [des Tribunes] so I let him go on, without going too fast.

"I was happy until the last bend and then I felt him really empty, there was nothing left. I was going to pull up but I popped the last. He was walking." 

Youtwo Glass sprang a shock for trainer Daniela Mele, edging out George and Zetterholm's other runner Gallipoli, who has now finished runner-up in the first three Grand Steeple-Chase Masters races that lead to France's version of the Gold Cup on May 19. Gran Diose ran a race full of promise in third, with a view to the extra three quarters of a mile to come in that race. 

The Auteuil stewards gave partial credence – though no precise details – to Reveley's thesis that something was amiss. 

The post-race report stated, somewhat vaguely: "Jockey James Reveley said the gelding Il Est Francais had fallen victim to a physical problem. Examination by the racecourse vet confirmed his thoughts."

James Reveley gives his impressions to French television after Il Est Francais disappoints in the Prix Murat

George and Zetterholm will run a battery of tests on Il Est Francais, the results of which will determine whether they continue along the road to the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris or are forced to take a pull. 

In the immediate aftermath, George's instinct had been to question whether he had been too lenient on Il Est Francais with a view to the big race in six weeks, as well as to wonder aloud whether the change of tactics in not allowing the six-year-old to stride on and relax in front had contributed to his tame finish. 

"We tried something different by covering him up with the next race in mind," said George. "Whether I thought too much about the next race and was not focused on this race, it’s tough to say. We need to work out how he can expend his energy in the correct way for a long-distance race like the Grand Steeple."

Standing with co-owners Richard Kelvin-Hughes and Nicolas de Lageneste, Tom George was in no mood to rush to judgement.

James Reveley debriefs the owners of Il Est Francais after finishing last in the Prix Murat

"My experience of these things is to get them home and see how they are tomorrow, because usually something comes to light," said George. "It's disappointing but it's racing and it happens. Hopefully they get to the bottom of it and put right whatever is wrong."

Il Est Francais had been a general 9-4 favourite for the King George but drifted out to 8-1 with Coral after his disappointing run. Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior is the new market leader after being cut to 4-1 (from 5) with the same firm in response to Il Est Francais' no-show.

Coral spokesman David Stevens said: "Although Il Est Francais remains prominent in the betting for the next season's King George, his Auteuil reappearance was a world apart from his impressive Kauto Star victory that saw him originally installed as favourite for the Kempton showpiece."

Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Kempton, December 26)

Coral: 4 Gaelic Warrior, 11-2 Fact To File, 13-2 Bravemansgame, 8 Il Est Francais, 10 Corbetts Cross, Shishkin, Galopin Des Champs, 12 Grey Dawning, 14 Hewick, 16 bar

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