RACING Demon, from Henrietta Knight’s West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, is on course for a third crack at Kauto Star in the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, writes Russell Smith.

The nine-year-old was third to Paul Nicholls’s superstar in 2006, before finishing a place further back 12 months later as Kauto Star completed the second leg of his King George treble.

Racing Demon missed the 2008 renewal with a sprained tendon, and only made his comeback two weeks ago when he finished last of the five finishers.

He should have come on for the outing, but odds of 66-1 reflect his realistic chances of denying Kauto Star a record fourth straight win in the Christmas showpiece.

Meanwhile, Sean Curran, who trains at Hatford, near Stanford in the Vale, celebrated the first double of his career when Captain Smoothy and Classic Dream scored at Exeter.

Captain Smoothy, a 16-1 chance, was having his first outing for the trainer in an amateur riders' handicap hurdle, and travelled well for Laura Griffiths to beat Ramvaswani by four lengths.

Curran said: “That was brilliant for the owner and the lads in the yard.”

The 153-1 brace was completed when Classic Dream, ridden by Anthony Freeman, held off Arctic Magic by a neck in a handicap hurdle over two miles and a furlong.

Charlie Longsdon, who trains near Chipping Norton, was on the mark with a 105-1 across-the-card double with Far More Serious (14-1) at Newbury and Minella Boys (6-1) at Bangor.

Longsdon is keeping his fingers crossed Far More Serious will stay in one piece. “He's still lightly raced, having had a lot of time off the track with injury” he said.