Saturday 27 December 2014 16:19, UK
Willie Mullins is drawing a line through Vautour's defeat at Leopardstown on Friday.
Last year's Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner lost his position at the head of the betting for the Arkle when well beaten by Clarcam, whom he had beaten easily earlier in the season.
A bad blunder in the back straight contributed to his defeat, but Mullins also feels there was an underlying issue.
"I'm just drawing a line under Vautour's run. He wasn't right. I didn't actually see the race yet, but from talking to all my people at home in the stable and people who watched the race, the horse wasn't right," said Mullins.
"I have my own reasons. People who were watching him said to me 'he just didn't stride the way he does'. I have my own reasons for that and I think he'll get over that and hopefully I'll bring him back to the way he was. Vautour will come back to himself."
Champagne Fever ran with credit in the King George before getting tired close home and Ireland's champion trainer said: "That's probably as good as he is. He'll probably get an entry in the Gold Cup, but he'd need to improve about a stone on the King George run to have a chance."
While Kalkir was also turned over at long odds on, he is another Mullins thinks will bounce back.
"I didn't expect him to get beaten and I think he'll come back from this," said Mullins.
He added of Christmas Hurdle hero Faugheen: "He's improving all the time and we were delighted with him.
"We went racing yesterday with four favourites going to Cheltenham and we knew they couldn't all win."
