Cheltenham Festival
There is currently 1 person viewing this thread.
21 Mar 11
18:55
Joined:
Date Joined:
04 Apr 06
Nicholls has stated that neither Denman or Kauto Star are likely to be retired, so we can hopefully look forward to seeing them in action again.
KS ran well for a long way in this years Gold Cup and indeed he looked to be travelling like the winner a few from home.
Obviously he is not as good as he was but his run would surely have been up to winning the Ryanair chase. He is imo still a better horse than Albertas Run.
If he can reproduce a similar level next year then there is surely no reason why he cannot sign off to retirement with victory @ the Festival.
He will NOT be winning another Gold Cup so the Ryanair seems the logical option.
Thoughts please?
KS ran well for a long way in this years Gold Cup and indeed he looked to be travelling like the winner a few from home.
Obviously he is not as good as he was but his run would surely have been up to winning the Ryanair chase. He is imo still a better horse than Albertas Run.
If he can reproduce a similar level next year then there is surely no reason why he cannot sign off to retirement with victory @ the Festival.
He will NOT be winning another Gold Cup so the Ryanair seems the logical option.
Thoughts please?
sort by:
Show
per page
Replies: 129
|
By:
No chance whether they can win it or not they will run in the Gold Cup.
|
|
By:
I like your line of thought - looked the most likely winner 4 from home - Imperial Commander's team might be having the same thoughts as he was going equally as well
|
|
By:
didnt commander burst a blood vessel and came back lame?
|
|
By:
Interesting idea. No reason why KS should beat Long Run in the future now.
|
|
By:
It is a sound idea, but given how much he has deteriorated this season (just compare the 2009 and 2010 King Georges) the chances are he wil be even less competitive in a years time.
|
|
By:
Kauto went too quick up front and he tired at the end. Might not have been the best idea tactically but they felt it was the best idea to try win the race. Had they run for a place he could have got second I'd say, but no chance with Long Run either way.
He will not sully his name by running in the Ryanair. He can run and end unplaced in the Gold Cup next year and then be retired. I say he's good enough to go win at Punchestown this year, run well fto in the Hennessyor go to Down royal again, then possibly place at Kempton before unplaced at Cheltenham. Then happy retirement for the best we'll ever see. |
|
By:
Remember Kauto was racing as a 3yo in France, no horse has ever had this level of longevity. It'll be his 9th season racing
He won as a 4yo over Fences in England and was placed in a Gold Cup as an 11yo. |
|
By:
It would not surprise me in the slightest if he were still well up to winning this next season, don't think he'll line up though you'd never know. MasterMinded might run in this though i reckon he just wants easier ground over two miles.
|
|
By:
Could he win a Champion Chase!?
|
|
By:
Kauto !!!!! He's a big slow boat. Moscow couldn't win at 12 and he was the best 2 miler of all time.
|
|
By:
chuck in Riverside Theatre next year too !!!!
|
|
By:
Yeah but CV I honestly don't believe next year's race will take much winning!! I'd consider a punt on myself each way!! ;o)
|
|
By:
If Denman turns up fit and well next season then the Ryanair is the obvious choice.His never beaten a fit Denman and never will over the Gold Trip.The way he emptied up the hill makes you wonder where he would have finished if the ground was on the soft side but ran a truely magnifecent
race on ground that suited him.I dont think either will turn up for the Gold Cup next season and Cheltenham is not the be all and end all.The bowl at Aintree should suit him down to the ground |
|
By:
I think Denman will be put away and aimed at the Hennessey!! I'd like to see it too, I think over the year's Denman has made the Hennessey as much his own race as Kauto has the King George!! Both their finest performances have come in said races, run them in them one last time and go from there!
|
|
By:
Oh wonderful someone trying to start a Kauto vs Denman argument.
 |
|
By:
Haha, nah give him the benefit of the doubt! All that was buried on Friday surely, I have never appreciated them both more and have no interest in discussing their respective merits! Anyone who feels the need to is in the wrong game!
|
|
By:
Dont think theres an argument to be had to be honest Must be obvious to all that Denman is the superior stayer out of the 2.Im not saying that he's the superior horse
|
|
By:
There is no argument to be had. Full stop. All that needs saying.
|
|
By:
Stayers Hurdle imv. Give Big Buck's something to think about
|
|
By:
I hate people comparing Kauto and Denman both are heros.
|
|
By:
Denman is better though
|
|
By:
I'd have thought Kauto wants further now - not shorter. After all, he cruised into the business end of the Gold Cup and got done for lack of acceleration. Just because he travelled so well for two and a half miles does not mean that distance is best trip, he'd still require a finishing kick, even a more instant one to win a Ryanair. The Whitbred race is a good option for Kauto now.
|
|
By:
FFT LOL
|
|
By:
Denman could maybe win another Lexus? Or an Irish Hennessey!?
|
|
By:
BF chase seems ideal for Denman, don't see why he should run in another Hennessey
|
|
By:
Will be interesting to see where they go with him now, particularly if they are considering masterminded for the king George. I agree that the ryanair would not suit kauto now as he doesn't have the change of pace to win a longer race. Would be interesting to see him at sandown again and perhaps a different campaign nxt year. Could base it around the lexus and Irish hennessy as those races wouldnt be as strong as the KG and GC
|
|
By:
I actually think the Grand National is a race connections of Kauto could do worse than mull over. If he was still enjoying racing and ran well again in the King George, then I think it's a serious option for them.
|
|
By:
The National!? Are you serious!? After everything they've achieved you actually think either would be entered for that complete dog of a race! No chance!
|
|
By:
I'll give up the game if they run a 12 year old Kauto Star in the Grand National
|
|
By:
The conditions of the race would certainly suit him.
Up to them if they want to risk the horse in the race or whatever - most tend to enjoy the experience. Of course, very little to be gained for a horse of Kauto's standing to be running in the National but the idea seems attractive to me when I consider the alternatives. As I say, they could do worse than mull over it. |
|
By:
Same!
He's a supreme class horse, not some mut that's uncompetitive over Championship distances and so has to be run over the maximum trip! Not a fan of the national, you might have guessed! |
|
By:
Kauto has never run in a Grade 3 Handicap in his life,
He's never been unplaced in a race when completing, He's won a grade 1 race every year since he was 3, Why on earth would they run him in the Grand National, he is a Grade 1 horse no a tactically campaigned dog looking for a big prize. them, out there who know fcuk all about racing think the National is the best race. We all know it's The gold cup and champion hurdle. I'll go over and kick Nicholls in the balls so hard he pukes if he even entered him. |
|
By:
Would be an interesting spectacle though CV? Kauto + Denman locking horns over those fences?
Should bring back Hedgehunter and Red Rum and you;ve got yourself a race! |
|
By:
The Hennessy, that's the only real Handicap. Proper horses like Denners can win that off top weight. Twice.
Then Whitbread would be 2nd best. |
|
By:
Kauto Star in the Racing Post Chase [smiley:crazy]
|
|
By:
Nah, he'll get weight from Denman fto in the Hennessy
 China Rock still wins though. |
|
By:
Kauto star will NOT win a Ryanair,absolute 100% total fact,at its best it was rated 191 by timeform,its latest rating is 168,thats a 23lb deterioration.
This years Ryanair winner was rated 166,im not sure if Albertas run has been given higher rating yet,but knowing that Kauto Stars level has dropped that much,its very difficult seeing him win anything at Cheltenham. I can see why you thought that,i did actually think the same thing myself,but common sense tells you Nicholls will probably keep his runs next term to a minimum,and have another pop at the gold cup,its not beyond the realms of possibility that a fresh kauto might run into a place again,but thats a best case scenario. One thing has to be said,and that is Nicholls is a genius at getting these horses ready for the big races. |
|
By:
I don't think that having avoided the handicaps until now they are going to chance him at the longest and probably least suitable of the viable handicaps. I think an Irish campaign based around the 3 mile grade 1 races would be interesting and he would certainly have a decent chance of winning them. If they want to attempt a handicap I think sandown is the best option. Doesn't anyone think an Irish campaign would provide a better opportunity for further grade 1 success albeit in slightly easier races?
|
|
By:
We know he'll go down Royal or Hennessy then King George then Gold Cup.
anything can happen in racing, 2 horses could fall at Kempton and Kauto might battle out a win. He'll be aimed at the races that matter as long as he can do himself justice. Yes he's over 20lbs below his peak but that was a mighty high peak after all. |