Wetherby on Boxing Day may have already succumbed to the wintry weather, but there is still hope Kempton will survive and play host to Kauto Star in his history-making assignment.

Having last year emulated Desert Orchid in winning the King George VI Chase four times, Kauto Star will be bidding to etch an indelible mark in the record books by becoming the first horse to win British racing’s traditional Christmas showpiece an incredible five times.

And, to aid him in his unprecedented feat, he is set to be teamed up for the first time in his career by none other than AP McCoy, who has been snapped up to deputise for the injured Noel Fehily, who in turn was standing in for broken leg victim Ruby Walsh.

The big spoiler threatens to be the weather. Kempton, which has been covered with protective fleeces for the past week or so, is to undergo a course inspection at 10.30am today.

Fingers are firmly crossed the meeting receives the green light.

Kauto Star, trained by Paul Nicholls and owned by Clive Smith, is the biggest name in National Hunt racing, with more than £2 million in prize money.

Unlike Desert Orchid, whose four King George wins were spread over five years – he finished runner-up in the race the year after he first won it – Kauto Star has amassed his quartet of victories consecutively.

To make it five in a row would be an extraordinary feat, but one that is largely expected.

He is currently a hot favourite, trading at around evens, with Long Run, at 5-1, the second-favourite.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, Long Run, winner of the Feltham Novices’ Chase on this card 12 months ago, is a hugely talented horse.

The French recruit was one of last season’s leading novices and his third-placed effort on his reappearance at Cheltenham last month was a thoroughly creditable performance.

The mount of amateur Sam Waley-Cohen, whose father owns the horse, Long Run possesses an abundance of natural ability and is the new kid on the block.

He does, however, occasionally suffer lapses with his jumping and any flaws in that department are likely to be cruelly exposed by Kauto Star, who, despite his fall in last season’s Gold Cup, is a slick jumper.

McCoy’s agreement to switch to Kauto Star has proved beneficial to Malton jockey Dougie Costello, who has picked up the mount on McCoy’s original partner, the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Albertas Run, four times a Grade 1 winner and previously a King George runner-up.

It promises to be a race to savour and, in a year which has seen McCoy gain his first Grand National victory, his 15th championship title and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, what better way could he choose to end 2010 than to make history on Kauto Star.

McCoy promises to be in the thick of the action throughout the afternoon.

He will also be aboard Binocular, last season’s Champion Hurdle winner, who turns out for the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle.

Nicky Henderson’s gelding, not at his best on his reappearance at Newbury, will need to raise his game – and is fancied to do so – to beat the likes of Khyber Kim, Starluck and Overturn.

Jumping action is also scheduled to take place at Fontwell. Watch out for Malton-born jockey Andrew Tinkler aboard a couple of useful Nicky Henderson-trained runners, Peveril (12.35) and Semi Colon (1.10).

The Flat action is concentrated on Wolverhampton, where the nap vote is awarded to Crystallus (1.35), trained in North Yorkshire by Ann Duffield and overdue a winning turn after finishing runner-up on her last two outings.


Racing selections

Kempton
12.40 Secret World, 1.15 Monetary Fund, 1.50 Master Of The Hall, 2.25 Binocular, 3.00 Kauto Star, 3.35 Glenwood Knight.

Fontwell
12.35 Peveril, 1.10 Semi Colon, 1.45 Golden Duck, 2.20 Time To Think, 2.55 Hobb’s Dream, 3.30 Lady Of Ashcott.

Wolverhampton
1.35 Crystallus (NAP), 2.10 Whipphound, 2.45 Stansonnit, 3.20 Mastership, 3.50 Camps Bay, 4.20 Jeer.

Meetings at Wetherby, Towcester, Wincanton, Huntingdon and Market Rasen were abandoned.

Today’s meetings: None.