Star bypasses Aintree date

Paul Nicholls has confirmed that Kauto Star will miss next week’s Grade One John Smith’s Melling Chase at Aintree.

The two-and-a-half-mile contest had been mooted as a target for the six-year-old after his unfortunate fall at the third fence in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, Nicholls has decided to sidestep that event in favour of a possible outing in the Betfred Celebration Chase at Sandown on April 29, in which stable mate Azertyuiop was second to Well Chief last year.

“Kauto Star doesn’t run at Aintree,” Nicholls told At The Races.

“If he runs anywhere he will go to Sandown at the back-end of the season.

“We’ve just decided that over the last couple of days. He had a couple of canters but he was quite bruised and sore after the fall and he was trodden on and is not going to be ready to go to Aintree.

“He may go to Sandown if we get him back to top form but if we don’t, that will be it for the season.”