CHOOSING jockeys for the biggest races can be a brutal business and two of the most accomplished in jump racing were left feeling unwanted yesterday. Timmy Murphy has been passed over in favour of Tony McCoy for the ride on Impek in the Stan James King George VI Chase, while Andrew Thornton could not even reclaim his old mount, Kingscliff, as third choice, the coveted ride going instead to Tony Dobbin.

Henrietta Knight, Impek’s trainer, had made little secret of her preference for Murphy, who had even been released for the ride by his employer, David Johnson. The final say in such matters, however, rests with the owner and Jim Lewis exercised his option to engage McCoy.

Emotion may play an influential part in this. McCoy rode Lewis’s first Cheltenham Festival winner and also won a King George for him on Best Mate. Moreover, he was close to Lewis’s wife, Valerie, who died only two weeks ago.

“It hasn’t been an easy decision but Tony is a great rider for the big occasions,” Lewis explained. “He and Valerie got on very well, too — there are orchids in the kitchen that he has sent and she did like him a lot.”

At Ludlow yesterday, where Murphy rode her a winner on the previously controversial Harringay, Knight commented: “There has been no fall-out over this. In the end, it is the owner’s right to choose and the fact is that both jockeys have won on the horse and know him well. I’ve had a long talk with Timmy and he is very understanding.”

Perhaps the most fortunate jockey, however, is Dobbin, who usually spends his Christmas riding in the north and had expected to be at Wetherby on Boxing Day. Instead, with Robert Walford ruled out by a collarbone injury, Paul Carberry unavailable and Thornton out of favour, he will head south to ride the second-favourite in the festive showpiece.

Robert Alner, who trains Kingscliff, took him for his usual day of pre-race hunting yesterday, having decided that Walford could not possibly recover in time to retain the mount. Carberry is committed to riding at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, so Dobbin was booked on Tuesday night.

Thornton, who once won on Kingscliff at Ascot with broken reins and no steering, was distraught. “I know Robert is right behind me but the owner, Mr Sendell, has told me he thinks Kingscliff doesn’t jump for me,” he said. “We’ve spoken about it at length and agreed to differ.”

Dobbin, who will set off before dawn from his Cumbrian home to reach Sandown, said of Kingscliff: “I think he’s got an outstanding chance. I can’t remember ever riding in the King George before, so I’m very excited about it. I won’t be able to sit on him beforehand but this horse obviously has his own routine and I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”

It could be a profitable Christmas period for Dobbin, who has also been booked for McKelvey in the Coral Welsh National on Tuesday. Peter Bowen, who trains this thorough stayer in west Wales, has been enduring a luckless sequence of fallers and setbacks but he said: “Chepstow should suit the horse well and I could do with a change of luck.”

Bowen confirmed that Ballycassidy will represent him in the King George, though no jockey has yet been booked. Monkerhostin is on target for the race and will be ridden by Richard Johnson, while Nigel Twiston-Davies reported that Ollie Magern, who suffers from intermittent lameness and disappointed behind Kingscliff at Haydock, is back to his best. “He’s a definite runner and we are very excited,” he said.

Bindaree and Shardam will represent Twiston-Davies in the Welsh National but the eagerly awaited comeback of Fundamentalist, perhaps last season’s most exciting novice chaser, could be delayed. “He’s in the Castleford Chase but he gave a cloudy trach-wash this week, so we’ll test him again before declaration time,” the trainer explained.

LATEST BETTING

KING GEORGE:

Coral: 11-8 Kicking King, 9-4 Kingscliff, 6-1 Impek, 8-1 L’Ami, 10-1 Ollie Magern, 14-1 Cornish Rebel, Royal Auclair, 20-1 Monkerhostin, 25-1 others.

Ladbrokes: 6-4 Kicking King, 9-4 Kingscliff, 6-1 Impek, 7-1 L’Ami, 10-1 Ollie Magern, 12-1 Cornish Rebel, 16-1 Royal Auclair, 25-1 others.

Totesport: 6-4 Kicking King, 11-4 Kingscliff, 5-1 Impek, 8-1 L’Ami, 12-1 Ollie Magern, 14-1 Cornish Rebel, 16-1 Royal Auclair, 20-1 Monkerhostin, 25-1 others.

William Hill: 11-8 Kicking King, 11-4 Kingscliff, 6-1 Impek, 7-1 L’Ami, 10-1 Ollie Magern, 12-1 Cornish Rebel, 16-1 Royal Auclair, 20-1 others.

WELSH NATIONAL:

Coral: 4-1 One Knight, 8-1 Cornish Rebel, World Wide Web, 10-1 McKelvey, 12-1 Comply Or Die, L’Aventure, Lord Transcend, Strong Resolve, 14-1 others.

Ladbrokes: 5-1 One Knight, 8-1 Cornish Rebel, World Wide Web, 12-1 Comply Or Die, Control Man, Lord Transcend, McKelvey, Royal Auclair, 14-1 others.

Totesport: 5-1 One Knight, 6-1 Cornish Rebel, 8-1 World Wide Web, 12-1 Lord Transcend, McKelvey, 14-1 Comply Or Die, Control Man, L’Aventure, Ross Comm, Strong Resolve, 16-1 others.

William Hill: 5-1 One Knight, 8-1 Cornish Rebel, World Wide Web, 10-1 Control Man, 12-1 Comply Or Die, Lord Transcend, McKelvey, Strong Resolve, 14-1 others.