Business faces strong international challenge

There are 28 entries for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on 27 December. Seven are trained in France or Ireland. Seven of the first eight in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup have been put in the contest, including See More Business, the Gold Cup winner, who will be trying to repeat his 1997 King George victory. See More Business won the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his reappearance.

There are 28 entries for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on 27 December. Seven are trained in France or Ireland. Seven of the first eight in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup have been put in the contest, including See More Business, the Gold Cup winner, who will be trying to repeat his 1997 King George victory. See More Business won the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on his reappearance.

Irish entries include Florida Pearl and Imperial Call, while French trainer Francois Doumen has put Djeddah and Rubissimo in the race he has won four times in the past.

Notable omissions include Martin Pipe's Majadou, and Ever Blessed whose Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup Handicap Chase win on Saturday came three days after entries closed.

KING GEORGE VI CHASE (Kempton 27 December): Entries: Aardwolf (trained by J Old), Boardroom Shuffle (N Chance), Bouchasson (P Hobbs), Challenger Du Luc (M Pipe), Djeddah (F Doumen, France), Dorans Pride (M Hourigan, Ireland), Double Thriller (P Nicholls), Doctor Leunt (P Hobbs), Escartefigue (P Nicholls), Florida Pearl (W Mullins, Ireland), Go Ballistic (D Nicholson), His Song (M Morris, Ireland), Imperial Call (R Hurley, Ireland), Looks Like Trouble (N Chance), Mulligan (D Nicholson), Northern Starlight (M Pipe), Or Royal (Mrs M Reveley), Rince Ri (T Walsh, Ireland), Rubissimo (F Doumen, France), See More Business (P Nicholls), Simply Dashing (T Easterby), Spendid (D Nicholson), Stormyfairweather (N Henderson), Strong Promise (G Hubbard), The Last Fling (Mrs S Smith), The Outback Way (Miss V Williams), Tremallt (T George), Tresor De Mai (M Pipe).