King George Chase

Kalahari King is out of the 2009 King George VI Chase

Kalahari King has been scratched from the King George VI Chase because trainer Ferdy Murphy believes that the Winter Festival feature race is not a suitable race to start the season with. Murphy instead is hoping that Musselburgh Racecourse will put on a suitable race for his Grade 1 winning chaser in order to prepare for the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on March 17 2010.

“He’s very well at the moment,” Murphy said on Monday. “We’ll scratch him from the King George tomorrow because you can’t run there first time out.

“We’ll talk to Bill [Farnworth, general manager] and hopefully Musselburgh can put on a race round here in February.

“A limited handicap over two miles round here would be ideal.”