kauto star 50/50 for gold cup

http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/latest-news/paul-nicho...

market suspended

This has MASSIVE implications for Grands Crus RSA backers as well!!!!!!

Market suspended is very worrying following this news imo!

At least this horse is with a reputable handler and we can trust what he says, after all, KS did not drift in the market did he and this happened last week! If this was with henderson and co, he would have been 12-20 by the weekend!

had an awful fall last week was this reported last week?

was just thinking that seathestars

i'm stunned it happened last week and there was literally no sign of it in betfair's markets, nobody knew, nobody trading on the inside info, fair play to them

what about if you've backed him in the last week after not knowing that he'd had an awful fall and was receiving physio?

really hope he is well enough to get there

Can't win a Gold cup now even if he makes it.

To say I'm devestated would be an understatement

Betfair have suspended the RSA market on the back of it

On last saturdays blog he said that Ruby schooled him friday and he was fine???

Imo he couldn't be in better hands.

If he's not 110% then not a chance Nicholls will run him and I hope he doesn't if not A1.

still don't understand why they didn't release the news when it happened....betfair punters won't be getting their money back and nicholls is on here?

Abit more here than one Sportinglife or Racing Post

Much-awaited clash with Long Run hangs in the balance after two-time Gold Cup champ - and long time second favourite for 2012 running - takes a 'tumble' at Ditcheat

There is no easy way to say this, but Kauto Star is only 50-50 to make the Cheltenham Gold Cup after a fall schooling.

As a trainer, it is all too easy to sit on information when it comes to your horses.

They have so many minor worries, niggles and setbacks - most of which turn out to be nothing of long-term importance - that you could be constantly updating on each of your string, to the press and the public, on a hourly, daily and weekly basis.

But our policy at Ditcheat is always to be up front and honest about the well-being of our horses - such as the coughing scare last week - and especially so when it is a public, and once-in-a-lifetime horse, such as Kauto.

In my opinion, the public have a right to know. In many ways, he is as much theirs, as Clive Smith's and ours.

So I am sad to report that his participation at the Cheltenham Festival is in doubt.

Kauto took a tumble when Ruby schooled him at the end of last week. I say tumble, but in truth it was a pretty awful fall.

Clive was obviously consulted at all times and we immediately got Kauto checked over. Even though he trotted sound, it was plain to see that he was sore afterwards.

He has had the best veterinary and physiotherapy care possible but we hoped that he would be showing more improvement by now.

I spoke to Clifford after returning to the stables after a Cheltenham media day yesterday, and he said Kauto still wasn't fully recovered, remained quite stiff, and in his wise words he felt he was "only 50-50" to make the Festival at this stage.

So I immediately spoke to Clive and we felt that it prudent that we put out this update today.

Next week is crucial for the horse.

He is still cantering each day but I can assure you right now that Kauto Star won't be going anywhere near Cheltenham unless we are all convinced - Clive Smith, myself, Clifford and the team here - that he is 110 per cent right.

Even if there is the slightest doubt in our minds, then he stays at home. No question. We will do what is best for the horse. Always have, always will. End of story.

But, along with Desert Orchid, I suppose if ever a horse has captured the public's love and imagination it is Kauto Star. We saw that when he won the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

It even had this old cynic bursting with pride for the horse, fighting back the tears on my proudest and most emotional day as a trainer.

So, of course, it will be devastating for all concerned if Kauto Star wasn't able up to line up on March 16 and try to win a third Gold Cup. Because he has been in the form of his life this season.

But one thing I think we have all learned with Kauto is never to write him off.

Yes, having this setback so close to the Festival is clearly a major concern, but don't confuse Kauto's kind and inquisitive nature with softness.

He is a hard so-and-so too - you learn to be when your best mate is Denman - and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he was back firing on all cylinders at home before Cheltenham, and went on to beat Long Run for a third time this season.

But at this stage his participation does hang in the balance.

I know a lot of the press read this column, so I would just like to take this opportunity to say that this will be my only public comment on this subject today and I have nothing more to add at this stage.

But I will give daily updates on the horse from tomorrow onwards.

reckon plenty have backed him in the last week duffy especially after nicholls recent  upbeat reports !

still hope for kauto supporters and top marks to ditcheat for keeping it a in house secret ,at least his price didnt drift alarmingly in the last week

yeah fair play to the staff at PN, this horse was absolutely solid on betfair. I have been on Long run for months NRNB with Laddies but in all honesty I still want a fully fit Kauto star to turn up as I love the horse and would much rather a true classic showdown.

So Paul Nicholls is a saint because the horse didn't drift on here?

Well wooperdy do!

The fall happened at the end of last week. I'm pretty sure I've seen some 'Never had Kauto better' headlines as recently as yesterday from the trainer - a trainer who has access to more media outlets than Katie Price does c0ck rmember - and he's somehow the hero here?

Anyone backing KS this week might not think so.

well rogerthe st nich does have a certain ring to it ! but seriously at least it was not heavily laid by people in the know !

^ Agree rtb

Obviously there was no room for this news with the world interested in the handicap mark being released.

Got to strongly disagree with that Roger. The trainer has to make a judgement call about whether the news is relevant or not. The strength of the horse on here is strong evidence that he did not hold the information back for any other reason.
Look at the Peddlers Cross situation, he says yesterday on RUK there is to quote 'a small chance' he would go for the Jewson and today he is double his price for the Arkle and half his price for the Jewson. If that's what you prefer from trainers good luck to you, to me the rest definetly make Nicholls look like a saint.

Weekend Runners   / Paul Nicholls / 25 February 2012 /

We have been getting on top of the coughing and it was good to have two winners yesterday.
Ruby was here on Friday morning to school some of our big guns. He schooled Kauto Star, Big Buck's, Al Ferof and Join Together to name but four and I was delighted with them all. Here's my views on my Saturday afternoon runners...

Betfair know how to pick them don't they why are people giving him praise? so the horse wasn't layed but he was telling blatant lies. What is the point in betfair having these trainers do columns with them when they are stragers to the truth.

So he was delighted with Kauto falling and needing immediate treatment!!

Not good that,would have been better off saying what happened,what they are doing with him between now and Cheltenham,and letting the public decide what to do with their money.

I think perversely the fact that Nicholls team didn't cr*p on their own doorstep and start laying Kauto has actually worked against them here - all it meant is that thousands of pounds has continued to be put on Kauto for 6 days following his initial fall.

I honestly don't see why they didn't release the news sooner.

Nicholls was in a no win situation imo.

With a horse the size of Kauto any news is bound to get magnified ten times.  Nicholls may secretly think Kauto is 80/20 to make it, but he is being cautious.  The truth is everyone is guessing what went on and what Nicholls thoughts are.

I appreciate people may be annoyed if they'd backed him last week - I would be, but if i was in Nicholls position I wouldn't know what to do.

If i was Nicholls i would of said i was delighted with all of those who schooled BAR Kauto Star who took a heavy fall and will be receiving treatment.

pretty simple i'd of thought

They probably thought he'd just be stiff for a couple of days and it hasnt worked out how they thought


The "Delighted" quote was a bit off form though, shouldnt have quoted anything about Him

I reckon they may have thought it wasnt that bad at the time, and hoped he would just carry on as normal, yet that unfortunately hasnt happened.

A bit off??

Its a blatant lie!!

Yep, agree entirely Zilzal

I assume every horse that has a fall is " abit sore", but some may take a day or two to get over it, some may take a week, some longer.

It could be that Nicholls was waiting to see how Kauto recovered before releasing info.  If he released it, and then two days later there is no mark on him and its all systems go, he'll get slated by for scaring everyone and making people lay bets off etc.

For all we know, Kauto may have had a few falls in training but we don't know about them because he recovered within 3 or 4 days.  Maybe this time he thought he'd be OK but with age his body is taking longer to heal?  I don't know what went on, or the thought process that went through connections mind.

I remember when Woolcombe Folly took a crashing fall a week or so before his Arkle.  We only found out about that because it injured Sam Thomas.  If Sam Thomas got up OK we would never of known it had happened.

I don't think its as simple as people are making - Nicholls was in a very tricky situation.

Only reading between the lines as well as everyone else but if hes 50/50 then they arent going to lay the balls out of him are they? I'm assuming their version of 50/50 is 50% capable of taking on long run and 50% might only be able to beat the rest (in which case theres no point risking him running).

Hes only ever really been 50/50 for anything this season!

Given it's 6 days since the fall could really do with some more information about the horse's current condition.

Smith was on 5 live not long after 7pm so you'll be able to listen back to it on iplayer later.

50/50 sounds very optimistic listening to him. It's a shame for the sport and for connections but surely if he's not right he shouldn't be anywhere near this race?

PFN is usually very open, more so than anyone I can recall. They know they had nothing to gain by withholding the info, they know they have a well earned reputation for openess, so whilst I do not condone it, I imagine it was not as straightforward as is being made out.

It clearly would have been straightforward to say he was 'delighted with all of those who schooled BAR Kauto Star who took a heavy fall and will be receiving treatment'. The fact that he did not makes me wonder what their private calculations were. Doubtles the next edition of his book will tell all. It is very sad news, I hope he makes it, he is in the right hands, but it does not look great.

Ruby Walsh says the next ten days are crucial as to whether Kauto Star runs in the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Paul Nicholls' stable jockey was aboard the 12-year-old for his schooling fall last week that has left the two-time winner of the race rated as only 50-50 to get to Cheltenham.

Walsh told Racing UK: "It was last Friday morning, we were schooling, pretty routine the same as he's done every year before the Gold Cup. He was in great form but unfortunately miscalculated one of the last we were going to jump and fell quite heavily. He'd never done that at home. It's unfortunate, a worry, but is what it is. It's not great timing but it happened.

"I asked Paul on Saturday how he was and he said he was a bit stiff but he'd cantered down the back of the flat gallop and he's cantered every day since but they just don't think he's right. It's the Gold Cup he's going for, you can't do that half-cocked, and they're just letting people know.

"It's two weeks away yet, a lot can happen in 24 hours in a horse's life, let alone two weeks. Paul says it's 50-50 and a lot will depend on what happens in the next ten days. Lots of horses get falls, get up and go and win the next day. If he's right he runs, if he's not he won't."

The more I hear, the worse it sounds. 6 days after a fall and still showing ill effects sounds a pretty big worry to me.

id agree with that, esp at his age, i suppose he's been a lucky horse with injuries up until now

Considering he was injured quite seriously at Exeter the day Ruby re-mounted, the horse's longevity at the top table is quite staggering IMO.

P.Nicholls - i think it is disgusting saying to folk they have schooled well and then say he has had a HEAVY fall...why people continue to say this man is open and very helpful to punters amazes me...the silvi conti episode when he said he would bypass cheltenham for aintree was another cracker...then gets backed off the boards for the rsa and hit 30 on here...

honest

More I hear, the more I want to back him! If Nichols was delighted last week and is now saying he had a heavy fall, then whats more likely? That he lied last week or that everyones being overcautious this week? I'm glad hes alright and i agree they should keep him at home if hes not 100% but they would have pulled him out if he wasnt 100% fall or no fall.

stating th obvious here but in most cases the older you are the longer it takes to recover from a fall or knock ,he will obviously be on th easy list for th time being  dont know much about training regimes ect,is 3 weeks enough to not only get over the effects of the fall but also the missed work ect, can he get there 100% in that time in the circumstances ?

The yard didnt lay him, and they still say hes 50/50 to go which to me is no different than 2 weeks before the betfair chase or 2 weeks before the king george. Hes an ageing legend so every bruise and every canter is going to be under the microscope because nobody wants to say hes fine and then he has a fall in the gold cup. And rightly so. Imo theyre being cautious. Bigger worry for me is if they think his confidence has been knocked, and again, if it has, they should pull him

he said they were delighted with him after he had fallen and was having treatment.
Thats a lie however its dressed up.

No drift on Kauto before news came out. Huge credit to PFNicholls 's staff etc. Would have been different with other stables me thinks...*cough* Henderson *cough*

The question absolutely everyone should be asking is whether the horse is now actually in inevitable decline and they can see that. It will come any time now. The fall could be a smokescreen Nicholls isnt always that straightforward.

Worrying news out of Ditcheat that Kauto Star is only 50-50 to make the Gold Cup line up. Paul Nicholls broke the news late today (Thursday 1st March) that the horse had taken a heavy fall when schooling and was now no better than an even money shot to recover for the Gold Cup.

Nicholls is renowned for having a very positive and open relationship with the media. What will come as a shock to some observers here is that the fall happened ‘last week’ given that it’s now Thursday we’re presumably talking about at least five days ago, and possible as long as ten days ago.

Many will immediately complain the Nicholls should have given this information sooner. Some will go further claiming that his silence for several days is some kind of disgrace or scandal.

I think that’s wrong.


Horses school badly every day. Horses stand on stones, get cast in their boxes, stumble, sneeze, cough and yes even fall in their work all the time. Trainers cannot realistically be expected to give constant updates on every detail of an animal’s training.

Ah, but this is the Gold Cup. This is a public horse will be the argument. Both good points but what would it profit anyone to have had that information? None of us can watch the fall. None of us can see the horse in his box, or walking, or trotting. We can’t assess in other words the significance of the news that the horse fell. Far far better to give those who know the horse and have the skills to analyse the horse a chance to assess the animal and make an informed judgement.

The horse has been given both time and treatment in order to recover from the fall but clearly that hasn’t gone as well as expected which means that Nicholls and his team can now reach the informed judgement that he is not a certain runner. Now they have something worth telling the world. Something relevant and clear.

There is no suggestion that the delay was exploited by anyone associated with the yard. That’s quite some feat.

Despite what some seem to think we don’t have a ‘right to know’ absolutely everything. We have a right not to be deliberately hoodwinked and deceived by those with ill intent but that’s a different thing altogether.

I hope the horse recovers and is able to run. I hope he runs well. I also hope that those commenting on this turn of events will retain a bit of perspective. Yes, it’s hard luck if you’ve backed Kauto during the last week or so. On the other hand, if you’ve backed anything else in the race your price was higher than it would have been had the bookies had wind of the fall.

If he doesnt go then retirement will follow v shortly imo.

should he have said they were delighted with him after falling and having treatment,therefore telling all of us he was fine,when in fact he werent??

No drift on Kauto before news came out. Huge credit to PFNicholls 's staff etc. Would have been different with other stables me thinks...*cough* Henderson *cough*

Couldn't agree more OTS.

Loads been said already and just feel a bit deflated as he would have added so much to the race. I agree that probably simply a case of an older horse taking longer to get over a fall than expected, but still not right that PFN said all schooled well on Friday

Just trying to give him benefit of doubt. Maybe most other horses it wouldnt have even been considered necessary to give treatment. Or maybe he did just lie. Whats the difference between a tumble and a 'pretty awful fall' anyway they both look horrible but its how the horse comes out of it that counts. If the schooling ground is the one ive seen on video then he cant have been going that fast

he did lie,its clear.
Unless of course hes delighted with horses that fall badly enough to need immediate treatment.

on the snaff

all very nice...but what if your like me, who haven't backed the horse and still think it is disgusting behaviour...you can't be telling people all is well with a horse and then a week later when it suits you, tell people the horse is sore and struggling to make the race after a heavy fall schooling...this is worse than the henderson saga with binocular...deplorable imo

Harry,Time will tell, but suspect the issue was only considered serious when Clifford Baker voiced concerns last night.
Hope this helps

One thing that would seem to have been proved by Thursday's awful
news about Kauto Star is that no one who works at Paul Nicholls' yard is interested in making a quick buck by illicit means.

The second-favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was injured in a schooling fall last Friday, yet six days later his odds for the race had not wavered on the Betfair betting exchange.

Punters have become wearily familiar with the way in which we now usually learn of a high-profile horse meeting with some mishap. Nearly always, it drifts alarmingly in the market for some future race, its rivals are heavily supported and only then does the betting public get to find out why its money has been lost.

No such thing happened here, which is an astonishing testament to the control Nicholls has established over his operation. According to conventional belief, few worlds are as gossipy as horse racing, or as willing to seek a sly profit, and it is inspiring to see those unlovely stereotypes undermined.

It was through Betfair that Nicholls broke the news, by which time the exchange had suspended its market. Unmatched bets were cancelled before it was reopened, ensuring that no one could take advantage of those who were slow to hear about what had happened.

To a very large extent, this is how we would wish all such incidents to be handled. The only issue would be the gap of six days between Kauto Star hitting the turf and the thud being heard outside Ditcheat.

It seems unlikely that those who backed him during that time will have their stakes refunded if he eventually becomes a non-runner, and some of them will nurse their grievances for a lot longer than the horse has nursed his bruises.

Nicholls' answer is that he cannot tell us everything, all the time. This might be Kauto Star's first fall at home but it is not uncommon for horses to take the odd purler while schooling at stables all round the country and that news is almost never communicated.

On this occasion, the horse did not seem badly crocked and the trainer must have hoped it would all be over in a day or so. Once the recovery had been achieved, perhaps the story would have been told in a "phew, that was a close one" sort of tone.

Instead, Kauto Star's stiffness has lingered and the news has had to be broken without the comfort of a happy ending.

Amid his other regrets, the trainer surely wishes he had not referred to the schooling session in his Betfair column last Saturday, when he expressed himself "delighted" with all the horses who took part.

But if this is the biggest complaint with which punters can reproach him, then it amounts to little indeed and does not compare with what can be said against most other yards. Nicholls has driven forward the practice of passing information to the public by various means and jump racing is the more popular for it.

The sport's appeal has also been enormously enhanced, especially this season, by Kauto Star and it is chilling to consider that we really might have seen the last of him on a racecourse. For the first half of his career it seemed that spectators might never warm to him, certainly not as they warmed to his stablemate Denman.

There is nothing like a late-career revival to endear an old stager to the masses and Kauto Star's return to greatness has been the making of this jumps season. Here's hoping he may yet get the chance to round it off in style.

it is more likely the horse is in decline now imo.

That's right eric,afterall,He's only won a Betfair and a King George this season

That's a brilliant write up OTS & in my opinion you've got it spot on. PN handled it as best he could & there was never any chance he could of kept everyone happy. KS is 8's on here so gonna have a bit as if he runs & wins I'll have a slightly better reason to shed a tear or two. God loves a sentimental old fool.

Top bombing Snaffler.

Just listening to Clive Smith now, I think it seems that it was not at all a serious knock but as the days have gone on his condition has deteriorated.

I do think it is time that bookmakers/exchanges stopped having trainers doing blogs etc, as it causes more problems than it is worth and the trainers priority is his owners not punters.

As for Kauto I hope he is not asked to go, it's only a race ffs. Rough him off see if he is ok in the autumn and a possible tilt at Haydock.

Paul Townend hoping Kauto runs...

Steamship that was the impression I got.

Is a real shame, but if he has had his last run (I seriously hope he hasn't!) he could hardly of went out on a bigger high. He has made this season already and Cheltenham hasn't even arrived. The greatest chaser I've seen and I'm so glad I've seen him in the flesh on a number of occassions.

I trust Nicholls and Co will make the right decision for Kauto, as much as I would love to see him in 2 weeks time, I would hate to see him injured.

Maybe bring him back next season? :-)

let's clear one thing up....nicholls admitted is was an awful fall, the horse got up and you could see him walk away sore....they knew it from the start....any other conclusion can't possibly be arrived at.....fook me this has surpassed even henderson...and what the fook is all this nonsense about well done for keeping tight lipped...the horse hasn't drifted on here , brilliant.....yep well done, it was kept so secret that plenty have thrown their money down the drain.

Paul Townend hoping Kauto runs...

Spot on Punchestown. First thing that came into my head when I read the Kauto story!

Wont get round imo.

If there is a strong pace, Kauto has never jumped well on the undulating Prestbury track. His confidence was hit after his fall in Imperial Commanders Gold Cup, connections thinking that fall also the reason for him running below par in the following King George. This schooling fall could bring those memories back if/when he goes back to Cheltenham, a strong pace the mistakes come. Lets hope he is a sound horse after March whatever happens.

spot on Duffy,absolutely no excuse for blatantly misinforming the public.

KAUTO STAR will canter as normal on Friday morning although connections warned there was a chance the 16-time Grade 1 winner might not be fit enough to line up for the Gold Cup on March 16.

Following Thursday's bombshell that the two-time Gold Cup winner was 50-50 for Cheltenham after suffering an "awful fall" when schooling last Friday, Nicholls gave an update on the superstar chaser on Friday morning.

"This morning he's having physio already," he said on Sky Sports News. "He's going to canter as normal today and we're hoping we can get him there, but there's just a chance we might not.

"He's just a little stiff. You get a little older and take a little knock and it takes a little bit to get over it.

"It's getting better each day so we're still hopeful. We've still got a fortnight, but we want him at his very best to run in the race."

"He's been in seriously good order and there's still a chance - it's not a foregone conclusion. It's not a massive problem it's minor. The big day will be a week Saturday when he does his last strong piece of work before the Gold Cup. He needs to thrill Clifford [Baker] and Clifford say 'yes he's right back to normal'. He will definitely have another school."

Sounds more positive than yesterday.

If a tree falls in the forest, but no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

If a horse falls when schooling, but it doesn't drift on Betfair, should connections make a sound?

Any thoughts on what next if he doesn't run? Aintree (if fit)? Haydock in November? Honourable retirement?

Given his far better record pre-new year, I'd like to see them either put him away for the year or retire him.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.  (Confucius)

Jesus somersaulting Christ it's turned into a Philosophy quotes thread!

A creeping wreck
A mental wretch
Everybody asks me
How I wrote "Elastic Man"

(The Fall)

Drowning in a sorrow so sweet I don't want to be saved (Roddy Frame)

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot & hang on. (F.D.Roosevelt)

On a more serious note KS does seem to be firming up again I suppose with a run he's fair value now but the doubt's reflected in the price. Nothing like stating the obvious!

He's running you watch. Nicholls has done 3 things:

1) Promoted the race and column
2) Got his staff aprice on the best horse since Arkle
4) Sold 1500 more scarves on the day.

What are you not telling us Howdi?

he thinks Kauto is still going to win the Gold Cup

Must be something more sinister than that for him to miss out number 3?  Is Howdi Paul Nicholls?

Makes Richard Branson look like the guy who runs my corner shop.

^^^^   

I'm a little sceptical since the Bino farce ...of he's fecked off on his holidays to turning up winning the champion hurdle. Maybe Ive over reacted.

A day after breaking the news that Kauto Star suffered a fall while schooling, Paul Nicholls updates on the recovery plan ahead of Cheltenham....

Well, it has certainly been a busy 24 hours or so since we broke the news of Kauto Star's schooling fall in this column at 5pm yesterday.

If I didn't have a headache before, I bloody have now!

But, in all seriousness, the one with the more pressing ailment is obviously Kauto and I will be giving daily updates on him here.

This morning he had physio from 7-8am (he will be having twice daily sessions, in the morning and evening) and had an hour on the walker from 8-9am.

Then Clifford took him out for a canter over 1m2f.

I must stress that he hasn't taken a lame step since the fall. But like an ageing rugby player, Kauto takes a while to get over the knocks. That said, we will certainly keep him active.

He will canter every day but we will not ride him out on Sunday, although he will have an hour on the walker in the morning and evening that day.

We will then step up his work next week, with a view to giving him a strong workout with Big Buck's next Saturday.

So we could well be in a position to make a decision on Cheltenham next Sunday.

I will let my Betfair readers know first when myself and Clive do come to that decision.

The price of the horse has firmed up considerably after an initial drift. Certainly not drifted as badly as some horses that subsequently turned out to be non-runners. The market will probably tell us how the improvement (or lack of) occurs over the next week and a bit.

brilliant - nicholls shoves it up everyone and causes major panic, then says he will give daily updates...oh what would racing do without P.Nicholls

I don't know what is worse him playing games or hendo or mullins shoving it up everyone on daily basis...its a sick game.

He will run ... move on.

alright harry, what you make of novak today? did you watch it? anyway fed will do the muzz no sweat

Hey judo...no missed it pal...what was your opinion of him?? rusty?? injured still or just needing it after the lay off?? good report if poss in your opinion??

Murray served very well throughout 70% + and dropped few points on his own serve. Npvak just short of peak, dropped some groundies short, moved OK, nothing to worry about but if you are not 100% gonna get creamed by top players. Slightly off his game is all be better for the match and let's see what happens IW/Miami

thanks pal...ah am happy judo as long as he was moving well...was a silly price to win off the lay off imo...but as long as the injuries weren't seen and he is none the worse for the outing I am happy...he will get better.

Wont get round imo

----------------------

I assume this relates to Quel Esprit,well its jumping is better this year and at around 19/1 is a sporting E/W bet which will vanish if Ruby ends up on board but I would still fancy it to go well with Townend up.Great cruising speed.

Who decided on CH4 to introduce the Kauto Star incident as a fall AND injury? Exaggeration surely he was only bruised and stiff it is as though they are trying to big it up. Nicholls saying he is now rolling in his box again. They should have had a market up on him running hewould have been 1/10 throughout all this rubbish Nicholls would have to be locked in a room for him not to run in his final Gold Cup, the fall not funny but the rest of it laughable panto.

Biggest bits of panto so far are nicholls 'pretty awful fall','never write him off','you learn to be tough when your best mate is denman'. It's good hype for the sport but a bit distracting for punters