Gordon Elliott: Don Cossack the finished article now

Gordon Elliott feels “lucky” to be training a horse as good as Don Cossack for a race as mouthwatering as the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Saturday.

The highest-rated staying chaser in training, Don Cossack has been imperious for the last 18 months, with his only defeat coming in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March.

He has won eight of his last nine races, with four of those at Grade One level, and in any other year he would probably be an odds-on shot – but the strength in depth of this year’s race means he can still be backed at bigger than 2-1.