Saluting King Kauto

NOW there is no doubt. Kauto Star is a racing legend.

Plenty have been willing to knock him over the past couple of years – but now the doubters are no more after the brilliant nine-year-old raced into the record books by securing his second Cheltenham Gold Cup crown.

The French recruit yesterday became the first horse in the history of the sport to reclaim National Hunt’s blue riband event having lost it, and while records are indeed there to be broken, it takes a thoroughbred of amazing quality to achieve the things he has.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls knew Kauto Star was something out of the ordinary from the moment he arrived from France, and he looked an individual of huge potential after making a winning debut in Britain in a novice chase at Newbury in December, 2004.

He fell at the second-last on his next start at Exeter but jockey Ruby Walsh remarkably remounted and was eventually beaten just a short-head by the little-known Mistral De La Cour.

Ultimately this tremendous effort ended his season as he picked up an injury during the race, and he was not seen again until November 2005 when he chased home Monkerhostin in the Haldon Gold Cup.

From that moment on, defeats were very few and far between as he went on to win the Tingle Creek at Sandown before falling in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Although that tumble was expensive for punters, it could well have been be one of the best things to have ever happened to the horse as if he had won that day, it is highly likely we would ever have seen him lining up in the Gold Cup, let alone winning it.

The following season was undoubtedly his best as he went on to win each of his six starts, taking in the Betfair Chase over three miles, another Tingle Creek back over the minimum trip and the first of three victories in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

At this point the gelding was looking untouchable at any trip and after booking his Gold Cup ticket with a narrow win in the AON Chase, he went on the lift the biggest prize in jump racing with another brilliant display.

It looked as though Kauto Star was set to dominate the chasing scene for years to come, but a certain stablemate would ensure that he did not have things all his own way.

The following campaign he made a less than spectacular comeback when beaten by Monet’s Garden at Aintree, although he did get his season back on track by winning the Betfair Chase again, the King George again and the Ascot Chase.

Denman, housed in the box next door to Kauto, had made the transition from novice company to the highest level with the minimum of fuss, and so all eyes were on the big clash at Cheltenham for one of the most anticipated Gold Cups in history.

In a race run at a furious pace, it was Denman who powered to glory, with Kauto Star producing a few less than convincing leaps and eventually finishing a well beaten and weary second.

Many punters believed the Kauto Star that had once lit up the racing scene was a shadow of his former self and it looked as though Denman would now take over the mantle as the best staying chaser in training.

He made a successful comeback in a fairly moderate event at Down Royal but the knives were out for him and jockey Sam Thomas after he took a weary fall in the Betfair Chase.

However, like the great horses always do, he bounced back in spectacular style, winning his third King George with a seemingly effortless display that indicated the Kauto of two years ago was still very much alive and kicking.

Looking back to his lethargic display in the Gold Cup 12 months ago, Nicholls decided to give him a longer break this time around and he went straight to Cheltenham following his Boxing Day triumph – and it was a move that paid dividends.

With the ground ideal at Prestbury Park, he simply dismissed his rivals - including the valiant Denman who ran a huge race after his problems this season - and quickened away in the straight to ensure his name was written in racing folklore.

Kauto is likely to follow a very similar path next year as he bids to secure a third Gold Cup crown and with class and heart in equal measure, it would be a brave man who bets against this quite extraordinary racehorse joining the likes of Arkle and Best Mate as three-time Gold Cup winners.