They dont need to make a hasty decision there is only 8 weeks to the Gold Cup. They can judge his wellbeing/form at the time, whether the ground will be good, Ruby will be back to school him to help decide, there may be high profile none runners IC didnt make the King George for example. They can sit on it to see if he will get his ideal conditions and if there are high profile none runners nearer the time.

R Carver, while I think we feel the same on this, do you think they will make that decision? I'm afraid I don't, I'm 100% convinced they will run unless Kauto shows a decline at home which he doesn't appear to be doing yet

I hope they run him and personally I think it's a lot of nonsense to talk about 'going out at the top', like if they didn't retire him that could in anyway diminish the memory of a sporting great.

What do you remember about Istabraq? Him pulling up in his last Champion Hurdle bid or him tearing away fro his field three times beforehand. Ali? Getting beaten up by fighters not fit to lick his boots at the end of his career or him rope-a-doping George Foreman in Zaire?

On Kauto's form of this season he has every right to be there? 'Oh but what if gets injured?' Well, that's the pact you make as a National Hunt fan - honour and respect against the prospect of injury and yes sudden death; it was the same when KS made his debut and it's the same if he lines up for the Gold Cup.

For me, in any sport, the swing is more important than hitting it out of the park every time.

IMO, history means alot to Clive Smith. He realises Kauto Star's position in racing history. He is already one of the most successful NH horses there has ever been, and Cheltenham is the grandest stage of them all. The race would just not be the same without him. If he were fit, but retired before the race, we would all be thinking "I bet he could have won", especially if it turns up good ground and Imperial Commander gets turned over. If fit, I don't understand why you wouldn't run him. I'd also be amazed if his last race didn't feature Ruby in the saddle. He is probably the best horse most of us will see in our lifetime, and the Gold Cup will be his swansong. If he ran creditably, it would be a great way to go. If, somehow, he won, imagine the scenes.

Paul sets the record straight following Kauto's King George defeat and targets a return to winning ways in the big one at Cheltenham.

I have just tweeted that Kauto Star "did have a small bleed after the race and will go straight for the Gold Cup now" - but I will expand on that here.

Firstly, I would like to thank all the people who came along to Kempton to cheer on Kauto Star yesterday. And all those who expressed their good wishes before and after the race.

It is an honour to be associated with the horse.

But I can tell you now that reports of his demise are somewhat exaggerated, and there is no talk of retirement here.

I have just spoken to Clive. We agreed that yesterday now gives us a bit of challenge with the horse - and hopefully we, and most importantly, the horse will rise to it.

He will be prepared for a tilt at a third Gold Cup victory in March - different ground, different track, different day - and we would like to aim him for a third victory at Down Royal in the autumn, too.

As long as he is enjoying his racing and running well, then he will continue - he is 11, not 13.

Yesterday, was undoubtedly a big disappointment. He was never travelling or jumping with any real fluency, but it wasn't as if he ran a poor race. Without his blunder at the second last, he probably would have been a fair second to a very good horse.

But that clearly wasn't his best form.

I am not making excuses but I can reveal that when he got back last night and stuck his head in the water bucket, he bled from both nostrils. He has never done it before, and will probably never do it again.

It wasn't a big bleed but it indicates that he probably bled during the race (possibly after his mistake at the second last, which meant he had to dig deep to get home), which would not have aided his cause.

But the horse was fine going into the race. You may have read this morning that he wasn't buzzing in his box yesterday. But he is like a seasoned human athlete these days. Experience of big races breeds a certain calmness, and I think he was A1 going into the race, so there are no excuses on that score.

So it is up to me and my team here at Ditcheat to get him right for Cheltenham; and we will relish the challenge.

We fancied The Nightingale to run well but he may have found 3m too far.

I can reveal exclusively here that he finished distressed and we have discovered that he has a fibrillating heart, similar to the problem that Denman suffered from.

More about him in Friday's column.

Thank goodness an element of common sense from Paul Nicholls.