Paul Nicholls and Clive Smith are weighing up their options for the King George VI Chase after both Kauto Star and Master Minded staked their claims for the Boxing Day highlight.Many had written off Kauto Star after he was pulled up at Punchestown at the end of last season having been left chasing Long Run's shadow on a couple of occasions.But the 11-year-old silenced any doubters by giving his younger rival a good beating in the Betfair Chase and trainer Nicholls said hebelieved he had earned t

Paul Nicholls and Clive Smith are weighing up their options for the King George VI Chase after both Kauto Star and Master Minded staked their claims for the Boxing Day highlight.

Many had written off Kauto Star after he was pulled up at Punchestown at the end of last season having been left chasing Long Run's shadow on a couple of occasions.

But the 11-year-old silenced any doubters by giving his younger rival a good beating in the Betfair Chase and trainer Nicholls said hebelieved he had earned the right to bid for a fifth win in the King George.

Master Minded has had the three-mile (4800m) race as his primary objective since the start of the campaign and he looked to be right back to his best when he won the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot.

"It's going to make things interesting now," Nicholls said.

"Clive and I will have to sit down and have a good chat and make a bit of a game plan.

"Last season for what ever reason he (Kauto Star) was finishing tired, but yesterday he was like he was two years ago. You'd hardly know he'd had a race.

"He mystifies me and we've got five weeks, Certainly on yesterday's run he's entitled to be back there again."

Nicholls was delighted to see his veteran silence the doubters.

"It was one of the best days of racing I've experienced. The whole event, the emotion and everything about it was just brilliant," Nicholls told At The Races.

"He's been showing so many good signs at home and if he was eight years old he'd be favourite for the King George and the Gold Cup.

"He doesn't want retiring - he's a long time retired. You saw the crowd and they all want to see him run.

"It was fantastic before the race, during the race and afterwards. Even when he went to Exeter for a racecourse gallop people were there to watch him.

"He loves what he's doing and it's so good for racing.

"If things had gone wrong my neck was on the line but I had a feeling he'd run a massive race," he said.

"I don't feel relieved. I just feel very proud."

Nicholls feels there is more improvement in Master Minded.

"He needed the run at Aintree and there was huge improvement," he said.

"I think there's still improvement to come."

Paddy Power make Long Run 6-4 favourite for the King George with Kauto Star a 4-1 chance and Master Minded at 5-1.