Kauto Remains A Star Of The UK National Hunt Scene

Well we cannot say we were not told, trainer, Paul Nicholls had been saying all week that Kauto Star had never been better at home ahead of Saturday's tilt at the Betfair Chase. Jockey, Ruby Walsh, warned the Bookmakers that the 11 year old was far too long in terms of odds and of course Kauto Star had already won the Betfair Chase three times in the past. Moreover, the legendary gelding had won four of his last five seasonal openers and is always at his best when fresh.

These facts and warnings of course were mostly ignored as the money poured into the waiting clutches of the Bookmakers, the vast majority of it aimed in the general direction of race favourite, Long Run. Last season’s top chaser, went off in the end as a short price 6/5 favourite with Kauto Star a very modest 6/1. Even Diamond Harry, having his first run since winning the Hennessy Gold Cup 12 months ago went off shorter in price. In fact there were only very few who believed that the two time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner and four time King George Chase winner, could win the Betfair Chase for a fourth time.

But win it he did and in such style that he broke the course record finishing an impressive eight lengths in front of Long Run and a further two lengths clear of recent Charlie Hall Chasse winner, Weird Al in third. Nicholls and Walsh having discussed the tactics that they would use in the race the day before agreed that they were going to blaze a trail from the off and using Kauto’s brilliant jumping to pressure the rest. It was a tactic that worked to perfection, as one by one the quality field found the pace too much and were beaten. Long Run did put in a game effort at the end, but he was no match on the day for Kauto Star with Walsh on board riding him with great poise and purpose.

Nicholls was quick to let the media and horse racing world know that Kauto will now definitely take his chance in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day where he will be looking for a record breaking fifth win. He will undoubtedly be meeting Long Run again in that race, last year’s winner, will improve for this first run of the season, but he will have his work cut out to beat Kauto Star in this form.

Nonetheless, the Bookmakers make Long Run the 6/4 favourite for the Boxing Day spectacular, with Kauto Star and stablemate, Master Minded, who also returned to winning ways on Saturday both at 4/1. The Phillip Hobbs trained Captain Chris is next at 5/1.

Diamond Harry was a long way back by the end, but his trainer, Nick Williams will be pleased that he now has him running again and that there were no further setbacks during the race. Williams believes that the 8 year old will come on hugely for this run and that his next target would also be the King George.

Paul Webber was not too disappointed in the performance of his Time For Rupert confirming that he will continue to aim him for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March. He will be seen next in a Graduation Chase at Newbury in December and will have one more run after that before the Festival.

17 Remain In St Leger Field

The field for the final Classic of the season, the Doncaster St Leger, to be run on September 10^th was reduced to just 17 runners in the latest declaration stage.

Race sponsors Ladbrokes have installed the Sir Michael Stoute trained Sea Moon as the 11/8 favourite for the race which is run over 1m 6f and for which the trainer saddled his first winner of the race just two years ago with Conduit.

Judged on his performance in the Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York during the Ebor Festival last week, Sea Moon is a worthy favourite having won by 8 lengths in one of the best performances seen by in the horse racing world season. He beat a top quality field which included Seville runner up in the Irish Derby and who started the race as the 5/6 odds on jolly but who could only manage third place more than ten lengths behind the winner.

Despite the defeat, Seville is also included in the St Leger field and looks likely to be the main representative of Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable, particularly as Irish Derby winner, Treasure Beach as well as Memphis Tennessee were amongst a total of 19 scratched from the race. O’Brien however has kept his Epsom Oaks runner up, Wonder Of Wonders in the race.

Irish and Yorkshire Oaks winner Blue Bunting has also been kept in the race by Godolphin and she has been made the second favourite with odds of around the 9/2 mark. Should she win she will become the 42^nd filly to have won the race and the first since User Friendly in 1992. She would also be claiming a third Classic win of the year after her Oaks success and her win in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket at the beginning of the season.

Census trained by Richard Hannon will almost certainly line up for the race, particularly after his excellent win in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 1m5f at Newbury a fortnight ago. In that race he had one time St Leger favourite, Brown Panther in second place and proved conclusively that the extra furlong at Doncaster should present no real problem.

Brown Panther still hold an entry and confidence remains high that he can get back to winning ways despite his defeat by Census and his fifth place achieved in the German Derby last month. Should he win he will provide the partnership of trainer Tom Dascombe and owner Michael Owen of their first Classic winner .

John Gosden who has trained two St Leger winners in the last four years, including Arctic Cosmos 12 months ago will be represented by his Group Three Bahrain Trophy winner Masked Marvel for this key race in the racing fixtures. Not seen since that win in early July, which was over 1m5f it is noteworthy that he had Census just a head behind him that day. He clearly should not be ignored as a potential winner this year and is currently a best price of 12/1 to win the race.

Other notables scratched from the St Leger include Nathaniel, winner of the King George & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last month and Fiorente, runner up in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood at the end of July.

Best Bets for Glorious Goodwood 2011

With the ground expected to be near perfect for Glorious Goodwood this week, punters will be able to get stuck into a number of true run races across the five day meeting which gets underway on Tuesday 26th July. The feature race of the week is the mouth watering encounter between the unbeaten three year old Frankel and the best four year old miler around, Canford Cliffs, in the Group One Sussex Stakes over 1 mile on Wednesday. There is also the Nassau Stakes on Saturday which will see the Sir Henry Cecil trained Midday looking to defend the crown which she won in such brilliant fashion 12 months ago. Here is a look at some of the best bets from the pick of the meeting's best races.

Tuesday

Gordon Stakes at 2.35

Difficult to oppose the Sir Michael Stoute trained race favourite, Fiorente, after his 5 length second place behind Nathaniel in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. We all know what Nathaniel achieved in the ‘King George’ on Saturday and the form of the ‘King Edward’ has been further franked by the handicap victory at Newmarket’s July meeting by Fulgar, who was fifth behind Nathaniel and Fiorente at the Royal meeting. Stoute has an excellent record in the race, winning twice in the last three years with Conduit and Harbinger. It is also an excellent race for favourites with four of the last five winning with the other one being the joint favourite.

Tip: Fiorente @ 11/10

Lennox Stakes at 3.10

Despite disappointing in the July Cup, Delegator, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor fro Godolphin is worth taking a chance on in this. He looked very impressive when he won over six furlongs in the Group Two Duke of York Stakes at York back in May but found the six furlong trip at Newmarket not necessarily to his liking. The extra furlong that he will get at Goodwood, should be very much in his favour and although he will have to overcome the likes of Strong Suit, Red Jazz and Libranno, he should have the class to cope.

Tip: Delegator @ 3/1

Wednesday

Sussex Stakes at 3.10

Although only five go to post, the race is being viewed very much as a two horse affair between favourite Frankel and last year’s winner, Canford Cliffs. Bookmakers have been reporting a huge surge on Frankel who is now 10/11 odds on while Canford Cliffs has eased slightly to 5/4. With so little to choose between them it might be as good an idea as any to place them in a reverse forecast provided a decent SP can be found. It is certainly difficult to find anything else in the race that should seriously trouble the two principles.

Tip: Reverse Forecast Frankel & Canford Cliffs

Saturday

Nassau Stakes at 3.10

Midday will be bidding to create history by becoming the first mare to win the Nassau Stakes three times. She has won the race for the last two years of course but she perhaps showed signs of losing her racing zest last time when well beaten by Misty For Me in the Group One Pretty Polly Stake over ten furlongs at the Curragh in late June. Before that she put up a game performance in the Coronation Cup, going down by just a length to St Nicholas Abbey. Her trainer has given her a reasonable amount of time off, which means that she will come into the race refreshed and on the back of some good reports from home.

To win however, she will once again be taking on Misty For Me as well as 2010 dual Oaks winner, Snow Fairy, plus the very talented, Jim Bolger three year old Banimpire who got within a short head of the brilliant Blue Bunting in the Irish Oaks a fortnight ago. Before that, Banimpire won the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and comes to the Goodwood track in great form and has the ability to see off this very strong field.

Tip: Banimpire @ 7/1

Reliable Man Wins French Derby

Despite solid opposition from both home, Ireland and England, it was the Alain De Royer-Dupre trained Reliable Man who stormed to victory in the French Derby at Chantilly on Sunday. It was the sixth time that De Royer-Dupre had saddled the winner of the race.

The win extended the unbeaten run of the colt to three, but this was by far and away his biggest success and marked down the son of Dalakhani as a genuine contender for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.

Ridden by Gerald Mosse, Reliable Man went to the front after edging right 100 yards from the line and held on fine style to win by ¾ length from the Guiseppi Botti trained Bubble Chic, with 4/1 favourite Baraan a further two lengths behind in third. Bubble Chic had finished second 1½ lengths behind Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi in the Group Two Prix Greffhule at Saint-Cloud over ten furlongs early last month a performance which further enhances the credentials of both Reliable Man and Pour Moi. That said Baraan did have a problematical race and has genuine excuses but will be a better horse next time out according to his trainer, Jean-Claude Rouget.

The Irish challenge was led by the Aidan O’Brien trained Roderic O’Connor, winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas last month but who had flopped in the English version three weeks earlier. This race was his first effort over a mile but he despite being second favourite with odds of 5/1 he could only finish in eighth place some seven lengths or so behind the winner suggesting that this trip was too far for him.

John Gosden entry, Colombian, was the best of the non-French runners, finishing in a very creditable fourth place, but was no match for the first three, although he would be a very much better prospect with some cut in the ground. Also disappointing in 9^th place was the Godolphin entry Casamento, who flopped once again like he did in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. When under the wing of Irish trainer, Mick Halford, Casamento won the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster as a two year old, but since moving to the Godolphin yard of Mahmood Al Zarooni he seems to have gone backwards.

As far as the ‘Arc’ is concerned, it is Baraan who has been given the shorter price by the Bookmakers. They go around 8/1 for him and Reliable Man is in from 33/1 to 12/1.

Is the Kauto Star and Denman National Hunt Era Over?

On perusal of the antepost betting markets for the King George Vl Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup it becomes obvious to note that the formidable two prong chasing attack of champion trainer, Paul Nicholls, comprising Kauto Star and Denman is no longer an axis to be feared; with many more trainers this year prepared to take on the two wonder horses. The two markets look remarkably similar in that they carry virtually the same entries, but there is a big difference in prices.

Quite rightly, Kauto is the favourite or co-favourite to win both races, particularly the King George Chase where he will be looking to break all records when winning for a fifth consecutive time and what genuine racing fan would wish him failure in that particular quest? However, such was his defeat in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March, that those trainers who have been developing the talents of their successful younger chasers may feel the time is right to test them at highest level.

Even Nicholls himself may feel that this is the right year to bring forward the chasing claims of some of his brightest stars, such as dual World Hurdle Champion, Big Bucks and Totesport Bowl winner, What a Friend. These two seven year olds are both included in the higher echelons of the Cheltenham Gold Cup market, although only What a Friend is in the King George at this stage.

Probably the biggest rival to Nicholls supremacy in the training stakes is Nicky Henderson and he has two outstanding challengers for the two principle chasing crowns this season. Firstly there is the brilliant Long Run, who fluffed his lines a little when third in the RSA Chase at the Festival in March, but who before that had won two Grade Ones by huge margins. Aged only five, this French bred has time on his side of course but he has already been installed as the second favourite for the King George and is in the top six for the Gold Cup.

Henderson has gone on the record and said that he believed that Long Run is the better than his other potential chasing star, Punchestowns, who had finished behind Long Run in the same RSA Chase. However, Punchestowns who had finished a close second to Big Bucks in the 2009 World Hurdle will be a big improver this season and should not be discounted and he is also high in the betting for both markets.

Albertas Run who finished last season in fantastic form, winning the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival and the Melling Chase at Liverpool three weeks later is one for sure to follow this season. Trainer, Jonjo O’Neill will remember that the 9 year old ran with great credit when second to Kauto Star in the 2008 King George and although he was well beaten as he was again last season when he finished sixth, has improved and has the potential to be a late developing champion.

Other Grade One winners who are featuring prominently in the betting for both races are the Phillip Hobbs trained, Planet Of Sound, Cooldine, trained by Willie Mullins, Forpadydaplasterer another top class Irish challenger, trained by Tom Cooper, plus Joncol winner of the Hennessey Gold Cup.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of reigning Gold Cup champion, Imperial Commander has recently been heard to say that his nine year old has improved over the summer and will be better than ever this season. If that is the case and Kauto Star and Denman have gone backwards as is widely believed, then the stage will be set for a huge battle for chasing supremacy, making this national Hunt season, the best for many a long year.

Imperial Commander of course won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham last season, defeating a very game Denman, who had won the race in 2008, in the process after dual Gold Cup winner, Kauto Star had fallen. In winning he effectively ended the Kauto Star v Denman hype but at the same time raised the questions of whether he can do it again and if there are others out there who can emulate him. This is just one of many questions which remains unanswered as the National Hunt season gets under way in the UK and Ireland and whilst it won't be until March until we find out the answer, there is sure to be plenty of excitement en route!