Kauto fine after workout

The Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star went for a strong canter yesterday as he bids to make the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 16.

The two-time winner has bounced back to his supreme best this season with victories in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton but was declared 50-50 for Cheltenham on Friday following a fall when schooling.

Nicholls said in his column at www.betfair.com/paulnicholls yesterday: “He had his physio and an hour on the walker, and then we gave him a strong canter over ten furlongs with That’ll Do and Rowdy Rampage.