Do you want to see Kauto Star race again?

+1

Is that Kauto taking up golf after retirement ^^^

I mean I agree. But he could you know - he's only 12 so could easily be in the frame for majors for another 30 years. If he can find his balls.

looking forward to the new season Strontium?

Oh yes!

which meets do you get yourself to Strontioum?

I try to get to all the major meetings in the south excpet the King George. Every day at Cheltenham and Newbury for sure and any Saturdays at Ascot and Sandown. I'll probably be racing nearly every Saturday from November-March. Also going to all 3 days of the Aintree festival in 2013.

about the same as me although i leave ascot and take in the KG.

I like Kempton on a 'normal' day but it's just not equipped for the KG - far, far too crowded. So I watch it on TV and spend boxing day wiht the family. Also means I don't have to watch what I drink on Christmas!

agree with that kempton grandstand looks fit for 1972

Fit for all weather racing in front of two men and a dog, which is what 90% of their meetings are like. Always nice to go and say hello to Dessie though

yes agree always flowers on dessie statue whenever i go.

I'll be there at Haydock, hopefully so too will Kauto

I think they've already ruled out Haydock (unfortunately)

I really want him to run in the King George; I'd put all my eggs in that basket, and forget the Gold Cup.

With the fall in the build up to last year's Gold Cup, it was no way his true running imo and still think he has an excellent chance in the King George; then I'd retire him whether he wins or loses.

I'm with you Wellchief. King George and retire whatever happens.  Stront/Howdi lucky sods being able to go racing so often.  Will get to a few at Wetherby starting with the Charlie hall and down for the Hennessy. Prob get an odd meeting at Haydock and I like trials day at Cheltenham.  Not saying I won't go the National again, but so busy I prefer on TV.

If you think he'll run in the KG he's a cracking bet at the prices.

Shock - it is lucky for me that so many of the major NH races are run in the south, and I'm lucky that I live between Chltenham, Ascot and Newbury so it's logistically not too bad getting around.

If you get down south occasionally for one-day cards, Newbury's Feburay meeting is also excellent (Game Spirit, Denman Chase, Betfair Hurdle plus on of the top bumpers of the year) - weather permitting! I actually prefer it to "trials day" for example.

ill buy you a pint at newbury shockster

Look forward to it Howdi.  Re Kauto and KG, would love to see him win, but fear time has caught up.  If he does go there though, you would have to believe that they have him cherry ripe.  God forbid anything happens to him though, as PR would be appalling.

if he turned up i wouldn't put anything past him.

Won 5 of the last 6, still the top rated chaser in training, running over his best C&D and, as you say, will be cherry ripe if he runs at all. He would be the one to beat IMO.

I have a feeling Grand Crus and Finnians are the ones to keep on the right side of.

I agree about Grands Cru.  Can't work out Finians.  Backed against him in his novice hurdle at Newbury, he won.  Backed him for the Arkle, he lost. Backed Sizing in the QMCC, Finians won.  I just get him wrong every time.

Rated 25 lbs inferior to Kauto fwiw.

So do I exactly the same. But Aintree run made me realise he was a good un - didnt think he stayed 2 miles once.

I honestly thought going into Cheltenham this year that Sizing Europe was the bioggest cert in the last decade at cheltenham.

Let's hope all get there in 1 piece.

No, purely for selfish reasons. If it had been at Haydock again, then yes ;)

I'd let Clifford Baker decide. Kauto is after all the highest rated chaser in the country and reigning King George holder.

There's something I like about the greats being dethroned. It give legitimacy to the next generation. I'm not a fan of horses/athletes go out on top, to preserve their legacy.

I'd let Clifford make the call, right up until the day of the King George, if he get's an inkling Kauto doesn't want to do it anymore then retire him.

Even if he gets pulled up in the race, it'll let everyone there know it's his last race and cheer him, if he can place he gets to retire from the winners enclosure of his most hallowed ground.

Let the people who know him, care for him and love him best make the decision. I'll support whatever they decide.

For me, I said my goodbyes to him at Cheltenham.

CVB, I disagree with a little of that. I always find it very sad to see great champions go on way past their best and I wish more would retire somewhere near their peak. It's very sad to see once great sportsmen reduced to ordinariness. It tarnishes legacies. At least the humans have the choice - the horses of course don't. I sincerely hope Roger Federer and Usain Bolt go out somewhere near the top rather than being reduced to journeymen, for example.

I suppose its about finding the right balance.

That's what annoys me about the flat, where so many good ones retire at 3 to protect their legacy and stud value, like Sea the Stars and Zarkarva.  It's good that the recent trend is that they're staying in training a bit longer now, like Frankel, Camelot, Goldikova, Canford Cliffs, Workforce etc.

But, yes, I don't like to see previously brilliant horses trail home.  For example, I didn't enjoy seeing Well Chief getting battered by some ordinary horses in his last few races, but they soon realised that he couldn't cut it at the top any more any retired him.  I didn't like seeing Katchit and Black Jack Ketchum when they had clearly fallen out of love with the game (they weren't "great" horses, but were clearly running to nowhere near their ability).

I haven't seen that from Kauto yet though, and he jumped with as much enthusiasm as he ever did in the Betfair Chase and KG last year.

I'd give him one more go; and win, lose or draw he'll go out with a hero's reception.

Sorry, I should make clear I wasn't reaally talking about Kauto (as he is presently) in my post at 19.45, just commenting generally.

Stront I don't mean go on long past their peak, but they need to be vanquished and that moment is the moment they know it's only downhill from here.

Kauto is on top right now, he got back to the top despite his age. The same way Federer did.

Fed will retire when he falls out of the top 4 in the rankings, Kauto will retire when we know he's past it or when he blazes himself to even more imortality in winning a 6th King George.

We don't know what way it'll end, if he's past it now Clifford will know and he'll retire. If he isn't past it he'll run in the King George and hopefully run well and get to go out in the winners enclosure of his home at Kempton.

If Kauto himself feels like he'll run the lot into the ground again, we need to accept he wants to go out on top and let him retire that way.

Yeh,the horse will tell them.Hes with people that know him so well,if he runs this season it will be because he is showing them hes still capable,if he dont its because he aint showing them.
Its to me as simple as that.
Cannot for the life of me see Kauto running just to keep going a bit longer,yeh we all know some do,but not this horse.