KAUTO STAR (FR)
10 b g Village Star (FR) - Kauto Relka (FR) (Port Etienne (FR))
Form: 211/1F2353/112/21F/111111/211122/1U111-11
Owner: Clive Smith Breeder: Mme H Aubert
A Grade Three winner over hurdles at Auteuil when trained in France, Kauto Star has developed into one of the greatest chasers the sport has ever known since arriving at Paul Nicholls’ stables in 2004.
His six straight wins in the 2006/2007 season included a stunning Grade One four-timer that culminated in an impressive totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup victory.
Last season he became the first horse ever to regain the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup and this term he enjoyed another slice of history as the first to win four consecutive renewals of the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day at Kempton Park.
He made his British debut at Newbury, in December, 2004, with an emphatic victory over Grade One IrishChampion Hurdle winner F oreman in a novice chase. On his next start, at Exeter in January, 2005, he fell two out with the race at his mercy. After being remounted, he just failed to reel in the winner, but it came to light afterwards that the horse had injured his near-hind leg and he was forced to miss the rest of the season.
Kauto Star reappeared in November, 2005, turning in a fine comeback effort to chase home Monkerhostin in the Grade Two William Hill Gold Cup Chase at Exeter. He improved on that run to win the Grade One Tingle Creek Trophy Chase over two miles at Sandown the following month.
The Grade One Queen Mother Champion Chase at The Festival in March was Kauto Star's next port of call but, after tracking the leaders in the early stages, he took off too early at the third fence and hit the deck.
He returned to action in the 2006/2007 season at Aintree in October, 2006, over two and a half miles in the Grade Two Old Roan Chase and romped home by 21 lengths. A month later, he defeated the best three-mile chasers around when easily taking the Betfair Chase at Haydock by 17 lengths, before showing himself to beone of the most adaptable top-class chasers of recent times when cruising to a second victory in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase over two miles at Sandown a fortnight later.
Clive Smith's gelding evoked memories of Desert Orchid as he went directly from that triumph to capture the 2006 King George VI Chase over three miles at Kempton on Boxing Day. Ruby Walsh sat tight to survive a last fence blunder and the pair finished eight lengths clear of the chasing Exotic Dancer.
Another final fence error made life more difficult again for thepair in the Grade Two Aon Chase at Newbury, but he rallied to hold the determined challenge of L'Ami by a neck.
A hot favourite for the 2007 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, he did not disappoint. Ruby Walsh struck
the front two fences out and, despite hitting the last hard, Kauto Star stormed up the hill to prevail comfortably from Exotic Dance.
Kauto Star thus collected the Betfair Million bonus by winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock, the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and the totesport Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
The 2007/08 campaign also began with the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, but the champion found conceding a stone to the talented Monet's Garden just a length and a half beyond him. He improved for the run to land the 2007 Betfair Chase for a second year running by half a length from Exotic Dancer and went on to win the King George VI Chase again, scoring by 11 lengths from Our Vic.
He dropped back to two miles, five and a half furlongs in the Commercial First Chase at Ascot in February but that proved no problem and he won by eight lengths from Monet’s Garden.
The chance of winning a second Betfair Million bonus was lost in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March when his stable companion Denman proved seven lengths too strong. Kauto Star’s jumping was not as fluent as usual and that theme continued at Aintree the following month when a bad
mistake two out cost him victory by a nose in the totesport Bowl which was won by Our Vic.
Kauto Star had a long break and reappeared in the Grade One Jnwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal in Northern Ireland on November 1, 2008, when he won unchallenged. He then unseated Sam Thomas at the last fence in the Betfair Chase at Haydock 17 days later.
Normal service was resumed at Kempton on Boxing Day, when he won his third King George VI Chase by 10 lengths from Albertas Run. He was rested before returning to Cheltenham and an historic second victory in the 2009 totesport Gold Cup, beating Denman by 13 lengths in tremendous style.
As in the past, Kauto Star was a little rusty for his reappearance this season. That came in the Betfair Chase but the champion was still able to win, albeit by only a nose, from Imperial Commander - his third success in the race.
He then added a fourth King George VI Chase with as stunning a performance as one could wish to see. Kauto Star jumped exquisitely and drew clear down the finishing straight for a 36-length romp.
Kauto Star has his 10th birthday on March 19 - totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup
day - and is aiming to become the fifth horse to win the chasing’s championship race three times.
Race Record - Starts: 33; 1st: 20; 2nd: 7; 3rd: 2; Win & Place Prize Money: £2,012,654
192.
