miracle? i would hardly call it a miracle if kauto wins the gold cup,i expect it to happen

Does anyone realise that KS was staying on(i'd say very strongly) and in the words of the commentator only had "2 lenghts to find" at 2 out.Of course KS ploughed it and it was all over etc.

Now don't get me wrong he didnt travel on the last mile too well,from 7 out he didnt jump great though was still very much "there" coming off the bridle at 4 out yet after being tapped for toe(we all know the change of gears has sadly now gone)he got into 2nd and was closing.

People see what they want to see i guess.All i'm saying is that if he did indeed have a mild infection then this could well have been the difference from a patchy 3rd place and a battling victory.

He'l not have my money on GC day but on good ground it would be folly to dismiss him.

Kautos been entered in the 365, could get a nice racing weight

Kauto Star will win the gold cup, no pressure this year he will just sit in let the others fight early on and then he'll come swinging on the bridle to roars from the crowd.

KS is unfortunately on the decline and could only win if others don't perform which is possible.
Denman could still run well and may not have declined too much. I'd love to see either of them win.

If KS hadnt clattered 2 out in the KG he may have won by a couple of lenghts in a storming finish.People seem to think he was miles back jumping like a carthorse ffs!

We know KS doesn't have his change of pace anymore,and we also know he can get caught out with jumping when there's a pace injection(as he was in 2008)and has ALWAYS been prone to the odd real howler.This ISNT NEW.

People moan he only won the grade 1 1st time out in ireland! the ground was v soft indeed and he jumped very sweetly and did his job.

If the ground comes up soft(unlikely) it's v possible that KS won't handle the virtually guaranteed pace and his jumping WILL be pressured,this is nothing new,as he was being  written off when he was 8 !!

Denmans form in last years GC was still v good even after a difficult prep(he was eyeball to eyeball with IC until the last) and his Hennessey this year was his FASTEST ever time over the course(even taking ground into consideration)

Ignore this rancid old plough horses at your peril.

What if Kauto Star hasn't gone must be a question everyone has asked themsleves.

I'm a bit confused how you come to the conclusion his instant acceleration has gone.

He hardly got the chance to prove that one way or another in last years Gold Cup, He wouldn't be overly fit in Ireland and the King George accordoing to Pn he was a sick horse.

The top and bottom of it is if he is spot on, on the day nothing will beat him. In he's 95% he still be right in there with a chance and the only two horses who could possibly finish in front of him are Imperial Commander and Pandorama.

I like the rest of you have my doubts so my final 3

1. Pandorama

2. Imperial Commander

3. Kauto Star

Kauto Star has proved to be a revelation since his first stepped onto a racecourse in my opinion.

I only got into horseracing because of this one horse. I remember watching him win the old roan and then seeing he was running at haydock in the betfair for the first time. I had my first proper bet on him and can remember when "Kato" went effortlessly to the front and the commentator said "The sky is the limit..." well it has been quite a journey.

Sorry to waffle on. The facts:

- Horses probably haven't won at the age of 11 because they have been running a lot more than Kauto has in his entire career, they simply aren't in the same class as him and they haven't been so far ahead of the opposition.

- Tell me a time since Kauto has been stepped up to 3 miles when he has lost a race without having a valid reason for doing so?

- He has won both his Gold Cups when the weather at Cheltenham has been relatively sunny, both times he lost the weather was drizzly and dark skies

- Kauto has a habit of proving his critics wrong, whenever they knock him down, he comes back better than ever

The one thing that does worry me. Paul Nicholls doesn't seem confident. When Kauto is on top form, Nicholls talks about him like a child, as though he cannot be beat and the race is already run. I think he has the same doubts deep down as us on this thread.

I kind of hope that Kauto is retired win or lose come next friday. What a way to retire it would be after regaining the Gold Cup for the second time..

Honestly, cricnut, you are 100% correct there, i never really caught on with denmania. But he is an amazing horse and it is a shame he has had his problems.