Will he or won’t he?

THE ‘he’ is Kauto Star and the question he has to answer has to do with the little matter of his ability to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Hardly ever before in the history of this, the blue riband of steeplechase racing, has a horse both divided and united opinion in equal measure.

Having trained Best Mate to victory on three occasions Henrietta Knight could reasonably regarded as something of a Gold Cup expert. While agreeing Paul Nicholls’ horse is “the class horse in the field,” she does add the rider that “his jumping does leave a lot to be desired.”