Henrietta Knight is eyeing a third victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton after seeing Somersby make a winning return at the Sunbury track yesterday.
The West Lockinge trainer saddled her triple Gold Cup hero Best Mate to land the Boxing Day feature in 2002, and followed up 12 months later with Edredon Bleu.
Sent off the 4-6 favourite for the Betfair Graduation Chase, Somersby jumped with aplomb in the hands of Dominic Elsworth to beat the smart Aiteen Thirtythree by three lengths.
“It’s nice to see him back in the winner’s enclosure and he’s a much stronger horse this year,” said Knight, who was recording her 700th winner over jumps in Britain.
“(The King George) is definitely a possibility as I think he will get three miles and he appears to like Kempton.”
Somersby’s success completed a double for Knight after Loch Ba was presented with the novices’ handicap chase by Autumn Spirit’s fall at the last fence.
Ben Case, who trains at Edgcote, near Banbury, also got off the mark for the campaign when Handtheprizeover landed the three-mile handicap chase.
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