Kauto second as Monet’s Garden rules
Paul Nicholls used the two-and-a-half-mile event as a springboard to one of the most productive campaigns in modern history last year. But his seven-year-old found a repeat success under his welter burden a step too far.
However, the Clive Smith-owned gelding lost absolutely nothing in defeat as he went down to Cumbria’s shining white star, Monet’s Garden, to whom he was conceding a stone in weight.
Indeed, a much bigger margin of defeat seemed inevitable as the four runners passed the stands on the first occasion as Ruby Walsh cajoled his mount along.
A few reminders from the saddle soon followed as Monet’s Garden and Ashley Brook opened up a commanding advantage down the back, with Kauto Star and Exotic Dancer scrubbed along at the rear.
Monet’s Garden was left in front four from home as Ashley Brook tumbled out of the race, but victory was not assured as Kauto Star stayed on tenaciously.
Despite his brave effort, Monet’s Garden (9-4) held Nicholls’ 11-10 favourite by a length and a half, with Exotic Dancer a further 20 lengths adrift.
Nicholls said: “I have said all week this was a starting point and we couldn’t have asked for more.
“I thought Monet’s Garden was the one to beat at the weights as he is a specialist two-and-a-half miler.
“I have left plenty to work on this year and he has been beaten given weight away and if you look at the form this is where we want to start.
“He did run lazy early on but my view now is that he wants a trip, and he has ran his best races over three miles.
“Two and a half miles around here is sharp enough for him but he has jumped brilliantly. This has set the season up brilliantly for us and he is a Gold Cup horse, which we will train him for now.
“We have got a month to Haydock now and that is his target.
“I always said that if he is going to get beat then today would be the day, and he was giving over a stone to a very good horse.”
Repeat wins in the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and the Gold Cup are now on the agenda, with his price for the latter two events relatively unchanged. Coral clipped him to 5-4 from 11-8 for the King George and to 7-4 from 2s for the Gold Cup, while Ladbrokes left him unchanged at 7-4.
Monet’s Garden is now three from four at the track under Tony Dobbin, and signed off last season with a course-and-distance win in Grade One company.
Trainer Nicky Richards said: “The race went the way we thought it would go and when I saw Ruby squeezing along on Kauto Star with a circuit to go I thought ’this is all right’.
“But to the second’s credit he kept at it – he is a great horse and it was a great performance.
“I would have thought Paul was a little concerned going out into the country there but to the horse’s credit he kept at it.
“He’d be the only one who could give my horse weight like that – I promise you.
“Two and a half miles seems to be his best trip, but we might drop to two miles and I’ll consider the Tingle Creek with him, or we might go for the Peterborough.
“It would have to be good ground for him to run in the King George, and his big target will probably be to bring him back here in April again.”
Dobbin added: “I’m over the moon. My horse needed it as well and he gave himself a breather down the back straight.
“We went a good gallop and it was some effort from Kauto Star too, you can’t take anything away from him.”
Jonjo O’Neill’s Exotic Dancer twice chased home Kauto Star last season, and suffered the same fate again.
His trainer said: “He has ran a good race but he just wasn’t good enough on the day. Two and a half miles may be a bit sharp for him but I am not making excuses and he’ll go to Haydock next.”
