King George VI Chase: Chantry House looking sharp as Nicky Henderson plots routes for Epatante, Jonbon and Constitution Hill

Chantry House's proven top-class form over short of three miles is expected to stand him in good stead when he lines up for the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Third to superstar stablemate Shishkin in the 2020 Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Nicky Henderson's charge won the two-and-half-mile Marsh Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March before stepping to three miles and a furlong to win another Grade One, this time at Aintree.

His reappearance over three miles at Sandown last month was in a two-runner affair, and while on the face of it proved uncompetitive, Henderson was happy - and even happier after a piece of work last week under Nico de Boinville.

• Nicholls trio among 10 for King George
• Epatante tops Christmas Hurdle six

Welsh National live on Sky Sports Racing

Watch every race of the Welsh National meeting from Chepstow live on Sky Sports Racing on December 27 from midday

He said: "It (Sandown reappearance) was a two-horse race and he went round on his own, which technically proved nothing to anybody except you couldn't find a fault in him. He went round and apparently in a very respectable time considering he was doing it all on his own.

"He has had one spin around a racecourse and that really did wake him up last week. He didn't need a wake-up, but you are going to have to be very sharp here. Three miles around Kempton is different.

"My plus for him is that until Aintree last year he was doing all his racing and winning over two and a half, including around Kempton.

"He's not a slow three-mile horse, we upped him to three miles at Aintree and he got it well. He had the solo at Sandown and was very good, but we haven't taught him to be a three-miler.

"The good thing is he's got some sort of natural pace and that helps around Kempton because they'll go quick, I think we know that, although if anyone goes quicker than Frodon then I think they are going quicker than the race needs to be run at.

"That sort of pace won't frighten him. He's just out of novice (company), of course, but he is sharp. He was very good the other day, and Nico was really happy with him.

"He's a very laid-back horse and that is in his favour, he's not going to be pulling and tugging and careering all over the place just because he is a two-and-a-half-mile horse."

Henderson considers Mares Hurdle for Epatante

Boxing Day afternoon promises to be another big one for the Seven Barrows yard, with Epatante attempting to regain her Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle crown.

The 2020 Champion Hurdle heroine made her comeback in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, doing almost everything right but having to share the spoils with Not So Sleepy in a thrilling finish.

Henderson is upbeat about where he has his mare - but equally aware of a major stumbling block that awaits her chase for further two-mile honours after the weekend.

He said: "I would be very happy where we are, I'm very happy with her. It looks like we'll have plenty of pace, we don't mind that. Aidan (Coleman) is banned so Nico will be riding her.

"I'm expecting and hoping for the best. We've always said her season was about Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle - after that it's a totally different ball game, because we're almost certainly going to walk straight into Honeysuckle and she is something different.

"We could have another race in between, we could use the Kingwell or there's the Contenders Hurdle that we've used at Sandown. But talking to JP (McManus, owner) at the beginning of the season the Fighting Fifth and the Christmas Hurdle were our two aims for the year. If we could get those in the bag - we've only got half in the bag so far, but even so, we were happy with that.

"If we could get this we can say we've achieved what we set out to achieve this year. We're still ambitious, we're not going to lie down. You could say could you try her over two and a half and see if she'd stay that in the Mares' Hurdle? It's something that's only crossed my mind recently.

"She looks a two-miler, but is she going to beat Honeysuckle? The answer is in all probability no, whatever she does on Sunday."

'No obvious Festival route for Jonbon'

Henderson remains open-minded on where the unbeaten Jonbon will be seen before Cheltenham.

A full-brother to the mighty Douvan, the JP McManus-owned five-year-old cost £570,000 at the sales - and has so far looked value for money, even at that hefty price tag.

His debut under rules came in a bumper at Newbury in March and he impressed first time out over hurdles back at the Berkshire circuit last month.

A much sterner test appeared to await at Ascot last week in the Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle, but he came through that Grade Two assignment with flying colours to cement his position at the top of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle market.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Next in the Festival betting is stablemate Constitution Hill, who made a real splash at Sandown earlier this month. But while his next target has been identified, a race is not proving as easy to find for Jonbon.

Henderson said: "I think Constitution Hill will go back to Sandown for the Tolworth, he's a two-miler. I've no idea with Jonbon, he'll only want one run (before Cheltenham). It isn't easy, I have had a look - you go through January and even at Cheltenham in January there's no two-mile trial.

"It's not obvious, there's nothing really obvious at the end of January, beginning of February sort of period. That's where I'd like a run. There are no doubt races you can run in, but there's also places I wouldn't want to go with him. He's come out of the race really well."

Balco Coastal is another to have taken the eye over two miles this season for Seven Barrows, and he heads to Ludlow on Wednesday.

"The owners live up there and I think it will do the horse good to have one more," Henderson said.

"There's a few others in the pipeline, like King Ottokar. There's a horse called Surfman who ran in the French Derby, he was a very good horse on the Flat (for Roger Varian). He has had a history of problems, but he's a lovely horse.

"There's quite a few of our bumper horses that had a few niggly things last year that I think are in the top bracket. We haven't seen them yet, so there's a bit more to come before we decide who goes where.

"I'd be very surprised if Jonbon or Constitution Hill weren't two-milers, so they've got to try to stay apart. Some of the others might well be in the two-and-a-half-mile division, that would be a help if they were rather than two-milers. But if we have to run six in the Supreme, fine!"