ELDORADO Allen finished a creditable fourth as Bravemansgame won the prestigious King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Trained by Joe Tizzard at the Venn Farm Stable near Sherborne, Eldorado Allen pushed Frodon for third place but came home fourth lengths off the podium.

Paul Nicholls was proved spot-on in his assertion that Bravemansgame is a tailor-made for this race as he provided him with a record 13th victory in the Boxing Day showpiece.

The seven-year-old was a brilliant winner of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase on this day 12 months ago, since when a return to Kempton for the big one has been top of his agenda.

Bravemansgame had been at the top of ante-post lists for the King George for some time – but despite his comeback victory in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, he was not favourite come the off, with that honour going to Venetia Williams’ L’Homme Presse (9-4), who was out to supplement a fine weight-carrying victory in Newcastle’s Rehearsal Chase last month.

Bravemansgame’s stablemate Frodon, the King George hero of 2020, gave his usual bold sight in front for much of the three-mile journey, but began to give way turning for home and at the top of the home straight it became clear it was going to develop into a straight shootout between the big two.

L’Homme Presse held a narrow advantage approaching the third fence from the finish, but Bravemansgame (11-4) and Harry Cobden mastered him between the last two two and was in command when L’Homme Presse unseated Charlie Deutsch at the final obstacle.

In the end it was L’Homme Presse’s stablemate Royale Pagaille who finished best of the rest, some 14 lengths adrift of the brilliant winner. Frodon was third, another four and quarter lengths back.

Nicholls confirmed Bravemansgame would now head straight to the Gold Cup.

He said: “It was a hell of a race. They went a good gallop and old Frodon gave them a good lead. He stayed on strong then and showed his strengths. He is just a maturing horse.

“We will go straight to Cheltenham now and we won’t run him before the Gold Cup. On better ground he travels better than he did, but he dug deep and stayed on. The other horse was a little unfortunate to lose his pilot, but he was beaten by then.”