Kauto Star is the odds on favourite in the Cheltenham Betting markets with Betfair to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup on day four of the Festival. This is a race that the horse has won on two previous occasions and has on one occasion finished second to its stable mate Denman. By all accounts Kauto Star is a great horse, but what is the magic that so separates such a great horse from just a good one?
Kauto Star is an 8 year old gelding from France. He is owned by Clive Smith who bought him for the not insubstantial sum of nearly half a mission Euros six years ago. Kauto Star is trained by Paul Nicholls, arguably one of the best trainers in the land. It is said that it was on Paul Nicholls recommendation that Clive Smith agreed to pay such a princely price for the horse.
There are few if any flies on Nichols or, as he demonstrated, on Kauto Star. After subjecting the horse to some intense schooling he was entered for the Novices Chase. He stormed ahead of the field and won by a good nine lengths.
Kauto Star nearly won his second race. He moved out to a twelve length lead but fell at the penultimate fence dislodging his rider Ruby Walsh. Such were the skills of both horse and rider that Walsh was able to scramble back onto the horse, continue the race and come within a hairs breadth of winning it.
His next major success was winning the Tingle Creek at Sandown, a Grade One race though shortly afterwards fell during the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham Festival in 2006.
He continues to clock up regular wines over the next few years, though there were also a number of misses too. In 2007 he everything for which he was entered including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a race in which he had been the favourite.
In 2008 he raced in the Cheltenham Gold Cup against his stable mate Denman, another horse trained by Paul Nichols and another wonder horse which had also won every race in which it was entered. On that occasion Denman proved to be the better horse and won the race comfortably.
In 2009 the situation was reversed and Kauto Star put on an excellent performance to beat Denman by 12 lengths in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Further wins were achieved in the Betfair Chase, the third time he had won the race and the King George V1 Chase for the fourth time.
He is the current favourite for this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.