Words cannot describe, simply put the best steeplechaser ever!! No other horse has or will match what he achieved in his career as a racehorse in our lifetime! Use can suck up to yer denmans etc all use like he won two handicaps and a gold cup.
LEGENDARY chaser Kauto Star has been put down after sustaining a neck injury and a complex fracture to the left side of his pelvis as the result of a fall in his paddock on Wednesday.
The Clive Smith-owned superstar was hospitalised and given intensive medical treatment at the Valley Equine Hospital in Upper Lambourn with the team working hard over the weekend to try and save his life but he was put down at 3pm on Monday, in the presence of Smith and veterinary assistant Hattie Lawrence, when his condition deteriorated.
Smith said: "I am devastated. He had been turned out in Laura's [Collett - rider] paddock, as has been done normally with him at this time for years, and he looks to have jumped something, and stumbled, we're not really sure, but he injured himself - and it became obvious it was serious.
"The vets made him comfortable but it became evident that it was serious, and the kindest thing was to euthanise him. It was a horrible moment. He was such a wonderful horse, but he did not suffer."
In her report detailing the injuries that resulted in the dual Gold Cup winner being put down, Lawrence wrote: "Three bones appear to have been fractured, the ilial shaft, tuber ischi and the greater trochanter of the femur.
"There also appears to have been a fracture to the spine at the base of the neck, probably between C6 and T2. This ultimately was the most significant injury as it produced the paralysis that made it impossible for him to stand.
"The secondary problems that contributed were pneumonia as a result of being cross tied and unable to put his head down, and laminitis which was the result of the toxins in his body and having to stand for so long."
The 15-year-old won 23 of his 41 races, including winning the King George five times and Cheltenham Gold Cup twice.
Bought from France by Smith and trained by Paul Nicholls, Kauto Star won 16 Grade 1s. His first victory at the highest level came in the 2005 Tingle Creek at Sandown, a race he won again the following year.
Kauto Star won his first King George at Kempton in 2006, winning every running through to 2011 bar the 2010 renewal at the course which bears his statue. There is also a statue of the great horse at Haydock, where he won four Betfair Chases between 2006 and 2011. His Gold Cup victories came in 2007 and 2009, when he became the first horse to reclaim the Gold Cup.
I have some wonderful memories of a true great, no other horse has ever made me feel nervous days before he was due to race, given me such heartache in defeat or such great feelings of exhilaration in victory. Remember the year he won all his races from 2m to 3m2?
His occasional horlicks of a jump added to the excitment - it was never over till the last fence was jumped.
When he was pulled up in his last Gold Cup, the crowd broke out in spontaneous applause that lasted all the way back to the stables. A magnificent tribute.
howard 30 Jun 15 10:47 Joined: 09 Mar 03 | Topic/replies: 3,777 | Blogger: howard's blog yes sounds odd. Bet it wouldn't have happened left with Nicolls
Utterly stupid comment. I am no apologist for PFN but accidents to horses happen. Regularly.
Exactly pp - if the RSCPA etc get their teeth into all the figures of horses that die in fields jumping around of their own accord enjoying themselves they'll soon be banning it!
without question the best staying steeple chaser I have ever seen and that includes the likes off wayward lad and burrough hill lad.so many great days so many magnificent performances my favourite would have to be the 2011 king George what a horse and superbly handled throughout his incredibly long career this is the arkle of my time in racing.
thank you kauto star so sad you never got the long retirement you deserved
Bad form from connections not even telling Nicholls until a minute before press release. Apparently had a week since the accident and Nicholls said he would have liked to have said farewell.
Sad when it happens to any horse. Kauto just highlights how brittle these incredible creatures are. Marvellous memories of a true warrior. Comparisons are not necessary. Great horses are just that. Great. Even lesser lights are loved by many. This fellow is right up there with the best.
In an era where the word legend is often used more times than its worth Kauto Star was truly such a one. Such a shame he never got a long and well earned retirement but as has already been said on here thanks for the memories of which there were so many - a true gret
So many memories I think ant bromley(the guy who looks like viz magazine 'student grant') went over to France to purchase Garde Champetre for Smith Got outbid by JP McManus rep (frank berry?) so bromley came back with the next best which happened to be Kauto Star How their paths crossed since..ho ho
As with Arkle, another memory of Kauto will be the handicapper doing his nuts over him Kauto won the King George in 09 by a huge distance he was only beating horses he had beaten before but Phil Smith decided this victory meant Kauto had to be given the highest rating since Mill house I think, Official rating of 191 This has led to an awful lot of horses being given stratospheric ratings. No wonder trainers moan so much. It was the form for years for the Gold Cup winner not to be given a rating much above 170 Best Mate got 175 i think To think Bobs Worth and Silviniaco Conti have been rated 180 and 177 indicates to me that the handicapper has got himself a little confused
Anyway, the haydock chase in 2011, the comeback win at the enormous price of 6/1 wasnt it? Showed the old boy still had it magnificent scenes and Ruby rode a blinder
