Darren Norris: Young gun Thistlecrack can rise to occasion

It’s a pretty safe assumption that the winner of the 2016 renewal of the 32Red King George VI Chase will be trained by Colin Tizzard. 

With all due respect to the rest of the field, today’s big race at Kempton is a straight duel between stablemates Cue Card and Thistlecrack. Not since the halcyon days of the Kauto Star v Denman rivalry have we had such a treat: This truly is a Christmas cracker.

Cue Card won this race 12 months ago and returns to Kempton having produced an arguably career best display in his most recent run, when hammering the returning Coneygree by 15 lengths in gruelling conditions in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month.