Nicholls upbeat - but which Kauto Star will turn up at Down Royal?

THE executive must be smacking their collective lips in expectation of Kauto Star arriving for Saturday’s JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

To get one of the real superstars of the National Hunt game, for what has become a hugely popular Grade 1, is a tremendous achievement and every other racecourse in the country has to be glancing north with more than a hint of envy.

The layers tried to put Kauto Star in as tight as 2-5 and 4-9 earlier in the week, but few were ever going to play at those odds, with Paul Nicholls’ eight-year-old having plenty of questions to answer.