Kingscliff delight for Dobbin
Tony Dobbin is “over the moon” at being handed the ride on Betfair Chase winner Kingscliff in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Sandown on Boxing Day.
The 33-year-old rider has beaten the likes of Paul Carberry to replace Robert Walford aboard the eight-year-old, with the latter ruled out following an injury to his collar bone.
“I am over the moon and it is a great spare to get, although it is very unfortunate for Robert,” Dobbin told At The Races.
“I have ridden in both of his last two races and at Wetherby Kingscliff did look very well. But he did look a bit burly down at the start, while Ollie Magern looked a million dollars.
“At Haydock, Kingscliff looked like a totally different horse, he looked much fitter, which he proved when he ran.”
Kingscliff came off second best to Kicking King in last year’s King George and Dobbin believes Tom Taaffe’s charge is again the one to beat.
“He is a Gold Cup winner and a King George winner and I am sure he will be right on the day, but I think my horse will run really well,” he added.
Revealing more on how his picked up the ride, Dobbin said: “Mr Alner rang me during the week to put me in the picture and to say I was in the frame for the ride.
“I was schooling yesterday morning at Howard Johnson’s and he rang back and confirmed it.”
Kingscliff’s regular partner Walford suffered a crack to his collar bone when schooling a horse at Alner’s Dorset yard last Thursday.
The 25-year-old had partnered Kingscliff to success in the Betfair Chase in which he beat Beef Or Salmon and Kicking King to score by a length and a quarter.
Walford rode Kingscliff for the first time at Wetherby in October when the pair finished second to Ollie Magern in the Charlie Hall Chase.
Kingscliff had previously been partnered by Andrew Thornton, but he ruled himself out of the ride this morning.
“Robert Alner was right behind me, but I have spoken to the owner (Arnie Sendell) who does not feel I’m the right man for the job,” Thornton told PA Sport.
“There are a lot of other good horses in the race so hopefully something will crop up.”
Kingscliff is the 9-4 second favourite behind Kicking King to go one better than last year.
