Kauto Star has almost completed his work for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton and is all set for the St Stephen’s Day appointment. He was last seen three weeks ago when he won his second consecutive Tingle Creek Trophy.

“Kauto will have a normal program with a couple of canters and possibly a school at the end of the week,” Nicholls said. “All the work has been done.” Kauto has had an impressive season and ended all doubts about his endurance when winning the Betfair Chase last month.

If the ground does not dry up before Friday, Royal Shakespeare will not be able to run at Ascot. Steve Gollings explained that the hurdler would have his second public appearance over fences in the Scanmoor Noel Novices’ Chase, if the conditions were suitable.

“He's absolutely fine at the moment, but it all hinges on ground,” Trainer Gollings said. “The weather forecast says it's going to be dry, but the ground has changed to good to soft, soft in places. We'll play it by ear. Ideally, it would have to be good, good to soft in places at worst. In an ideal world, good ground is what we would be looking for.”

After former champion jockey Kieren Fallon was suspended for six months for testing positive for drugs at the Prix Jean Prat, his future seemed quite uncertain. The French suspension came after a suspension in Britain that will last until the conclusion of legal proceedings against Fallon for alleged race fixing.

For many, Trainer Aidan O’Brien would start searching for a new jockey, but the master of Ballydoyle has said he completely supports Fallon and the Irish jockey will continue to work for him in the future.

Kahlil Burke says he is ready to give Sarahs Quay a chance to defeat mighty Black Jack Ketchum in the Mares Group Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham. Sarahs Quay gave her trainer his first winner by winning at Sedgefield in February. She also hit a Listed race for mares in March.

“We've got to start somewhere with her, so why not a race 12 miles down the road?” Burke said. “She's fit and well and we've got absolutely nothing to lose. I don't care whether Black Jack Ketchum turns up or not. We'll take him on.”

Steve Gollings’ Royal Shakespeare, winner of last year’s Order of Merit, found a tough contestant in Twist Magic in the Para Dressage Training Trust Novices’ Chase at Fakenham.

Paul Nicholls’ horse was ridden by Ruby Walsh and passed the post with 24 lengths to spare from Royal Shakespeare. “I thought I was going to get a lead, but he took off with me after the first and I thought there was no point in slowing him down,” Walsh said. “I was very happy with him.”

Black Jack Ketchum is expected to come back at the Mears Group Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. The seven-year-old was not able to ride in the John Smith’s Hurdle at Wetherby and the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury because of an unsatisfactory blood count.

However, trainer Jonjo O’Neill is happy about the horse’s health. “Black Jack Ketchum seems in grand old form at home and, hopefully, whatever the disorder was he's over it,” he said. “The plan is to go to Cheltenham for the Relkeel Hurdle as long as the ground is not desperate, as we wouldn't want to be running him on heavy.”

This has been a terrible year for Kieren Fallon. First, he was banned from riding in Britain and now, the French Racing Authority has suspended him for six months because he tested positive for a metabolite of a prohibited substance. The results came from a sample Fallon supplied in July after riding in the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.

“Kieren Fallon has been notified that he has a suspension of six moths after he tested positive for a prohibited substance,” Henri Pouret, of France Galop, confirmed. “He has the right to appeal but both A and B samples tested positive. The test was taken after the Prix Jean Prat at Chantilly.”

Ouija Board’s performance in the Japan Cup last weekend was certainly brilliant. The mare finished in third place behind Deep Impact and showed an unbelievable constitution. Now, her next target is the Hong Kong Vase on December 10th, which would be the last race of her fantastic career.

“It was another great effort and she was beaten by what I would consider to be the best turf horse in the world - and I don't think there is any disgrace in that,” racing manager Peter Stanley commented after the race.

Ouija Board was transferred this week to the track after spending several days at the Shroi quarantine center. The five-year-old was awarded last week the Cartier Horse of the Year prize for the second time, establishing a record.

“She's fit at 463 kilograms, nearly her perfect racing weight. Her exercise this morning was very good and Jason Tate was very pleased with her,” traveling head groom Robin Trevor-Jones explained. “The dirt was in no condition to use so we took her out on the turf course. We don't want any more rain because she likes to race on good to firm going.”

Jump Jockey Henry Oliver has been suspended for 28 days due to a mistake that made him lose a race at Leicester. Oliver and his mount Lambrini Mist seemed to have ensured victory at the Prairie Minstrel in the Prima Handicap Chase but the jockey dropped his hands, which caused the horse to get up in the final steps.

“It was a mistake and I hold my hands up,” Oliver said. “ I didn't want to knock the old horse about any more than I had to.” The stewards found that if it hadn’t been for Oliver’s mistake, Lambrini Mist would have won.