Kauto Queen Mother bid 'very unlikely'

Paul Nicholls revealed Kauto Star is “very unlikely” to run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Sent off the 2-1 favourite for last season’s renewal, the six-year-old got no further than the third fence but rocketed to the head of this year’s ante-post market when storming to a wide-margin win at the weekend.

His 21-length defeat of stablemate Armaturk was achieved over two and a half miles at Aintree and Nicholls feels the longer trip suited him well.

“I was really pleased with him on Saturday and I’m sure he’ll get further,” he said.

“I think this year the race for him could be the two-mile-five Ryanair Chase, and I would say at this stage he is very unlikely to run in the Champion Chase, unless the ground was very, very testing.

“I haven’t made any plans yet but I’m going to sit down and talk to Clive (Smith, owner) and talk to Ruby (Walsh) but I think he’s pretty versatile.

“If the ground was testing he could go over two miles and if the ground was decent, he could go three miles.”

Before the Festival, Kauto Star will be aimed at the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day – but Nicholls hopes he will one day take his place in the Gold Cup field.

He told Racing UK: “I haven’t made any concrete plans. We are going to go for the King George but I don’t know where he’ll run next.

“I could definitely see it (lining up in a Gold Cup) though I wouldn’t know if it would be this year or in two years time.

“He’s obviously very good and it was a real shame when he fell last year but he also won a Tingle Creek and that says it all.”