Horse Racing: Marlborough ruled out of King George

Nicky Henderson has confirmed that Marlborough will miss the King George VI Chase at Kempton but reports that the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup is firmly on the agenda.

Marlborough was due to run in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup earlier this month but was ruled out of the Newbury feature when he suffered a trapped epiglottis - a rare throat problem - which needed surgery.

It was immediately feared that he would be out of action until the New Year but he has in fact made a quicker recovery than was anticipated.

Henderson said: "We could have very nearly got him there (Kempton) with a push.

"But if things had gone wrong we could have set things back and I have spoken to his owner Sir Robert Ogden and we have decided to take the more gentle line with him."

The Lambourn trainer added: "He is very, very well and everything will be geared to Cheltenham now and there are several possibilities for him in the New Year.

"There is the Pillar at Cheltenham, the Aon Chase at Newbury and of course the Wincanton race (Jim Ford), which he won last season, so we will have to see."