CV,honestly mate i dont think he will be cutting it at Grade 1 level next season.
The youngsters have arrived.

That's a distinct possibility CV but this talk of the Ryanair is a complete no no. If PN thought he was good enough to do himself justice in the Ryanair he'd run him in the Gold Cup plain and simple. Man has never shirked a challenge in his life.

As far as one poster saying he's in the Bet365 I think someone should tell him he's in it every year but he never runs it. PN surely won't send him there when the Punchestown gold cup is over the perfect trip and looks to be an easier race.

Jessies Dream best bostons angle this season yet lost in the rsa. Form lines on improving chasers are not solid.

and the rest, I think bostons improved for the fast pace as did JD I suppose, but I reckon Fairyhouse was the only time MD ran his race this season and I'm of the oppinion he looked set to build on that finally when falling here, If they decide to stick to chasing with him, I'm going to take the hint and back him next time, I thought he humped well till the fall and was expecting him to win. I'm taking a position as they say

Kauto's form has clearly declined this season compared to last.

Therefore, I wouldn't be confident that he will retain his current level of ability next season, or even if his regression won't take an expotential like decline.

Talk of Long Run being the only horse better than him is very premature. We won't be sure until he runs again.

If he was, then I agree the races in Ireland might be easier won than the ones in the UK, but the ground is unlikely to be suitable.

I was refering to the chase races in Winter - John Durkan, Lexus, Hennessy.

Current weather conditions here - well I guess the Punchestown will be run on good ground. I agree with a repeat performance of Cheltenham, the Punchestown race should be easy pickings.

Hes regressing,and that wil increase even more in the coming months.Cannot beat father time.
Younger legs have already made their mark,and their are more round the corner.Its time to retire imo,or have some fun in hunting.
He deserves it. And we have had more than our pound of flesh,thats for sure.
Do we want to see more of what happened in the King George??
Course we dont,but thats certainly possible if they keep going to the well.

^^^^^^interest theory on the legs, I just thought Ruby had him settled well and in a lovely rythm and Rupert was already done for. thought he'd have won from there though ya it was early

Remind me of See More Business's end of his career....

Don't know about hurdlers but defo no chaser has won as many G1's as Kauto. The ability to win the tingle creek and ascot chase while being a staying chaser was a very unique talent which helped him win so many.

I hope IC comes over, would be a crackin good race.

Pity Pandorama and China Rock are out for the rest of the season.

I'd say both those and jy vole will run. I'm sure Planet of Sound will come over again.

Jy Vole was hacking in the race last year before tipping up!

Would certainly make for a more intriguing race with them both in it. Im not convinced forpady would want this type of distance, but like you i suspect they will give it another go as he wasn't right last time. Tranquil sea I am a fan of, I think if he gets to grips with the quicker ground he may stay, he certainly stays 2m4f in a bog. Still would have to improve to get near kauto though. If he's anywhere near this years Cheltenham form then only imperial commander should get close.

Of course,having said that,it still depends on his opposition being good enough.

yeh,think he will always have our support.But when a horse like What A Friend almost beats him at levels yer know he aint the same.Same with Denman,look what he did to WAF in the hennessey a year and a half ago.

What a load of bollox! Cant argue with the first Gold Cup beat nothing and deserved to win it.2009 had 2 horses to beat Denman,and we all know about Denmans illness and prep for the race,and the other horse was Neptunes who sustained an injury during the race and never raced for over a year after that GC. A very hollow victory IMO.I will not talk down kauto's fantastic performances in the King Georges that he won or his Tingle creek victories as they were his forte but the betfair chases??? Once again his main adversaries were at home tucked up in their stables leaving Kauto to struggle to beat the Exotic Dancers and Snoopy loopys of this world.Beat trees at Down Royal and was all out to beat the mighty Lami a neck in the Aon,dont scream top notch stayer to me. Im sorry but his trainer insured that he had the easy route until he had no choice but to run his top horses together.
Please dont bother throwing the last Betfair victory at me with his beating of Imperial Commander because if Denman was in another camp he would have picked them both up and carried them over the line
Kauto Star is one of the best horses iv seen and deserves to be rated alongside the likes of Dessie but an Arkle? Never in a million years.He would never have beaten a fit Denman on a galloping lefthanded track and that includes Haydock,although the trainer would have you believe its a tight track now which would mean that the other 100 or so trainers in the country are numbsculls for sending there horses there
Kauto now needs an absolute maximum of 3 miles on a righthand course on decent ground to show anything like he has in the past.

The argument that Kauto beat nothing at Cheltenham or Haydock is very lazy. You could look through ever single Gold Cup winner's form from the dawn of racing and pick holes in their wins, just as you have done.

For what it's worth, L'ami and Snoopy Loopy at their respective peaks were genuine Grade One chasers, and Exotic Dancer is comfortably in the Kicking King / War of Attrition bracket.

When Kauto won that King George in 2009, there's no way any horse would have lived with him, not even Arkle, let alone give him 17 pounds or whatever, that the ratings suggest he would.

The greatest jumps racehorse of all time - I would say so.

Exotic Dancer was a very good horse, I would have him ahead of KK and WOA, WOA was only top class for half a season and if you want to get into the horses Best Mate was beating.............. Kauto's era was the high watermark for staying chasing in the last decade imo. If you want to get into how lucky he has been with regard to his Gold Cup opposition, he was equally unlucky not to have a Champion Chase on his CV.It is versatility that masrks him out, The fact that Denman's Gold Cup came close to finishing him is in some ways a testament to how good a horse Kauto is.

Ireland reading between the lines