Kauto Star

H made that look easy. Definitely the most fluent jumping Iv seen out of him. You'd have to think hes better than ever, the other horses arent as poor as he made them look. That said My Way de Solizen clearly wasnt in proper form and niether was Taranis id say, based on previous races.
Looking forward to the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Friday now! Should be a cracker!
 
Well Taranis has been taken to the horsepital - hope its nothing serious
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KS was absolutely fabulous! Best i've seen him jump and run! It was just easy for him!
 
Sounds like Taranis has broken down quite badly but not life threatening thankfully. AP pretty much admitted that next time with Exotic Dancer they will just be looking for 2nd. Shame for ED that he is around the same time as KS!
 
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Sounds like Taranis has broken down quite badly but not life threatening thankfully. AP pretty much admitted that next time with Exotic Dancer they will just be looking for 2nd. Shame for ED that he is around the same time as KS!

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Hope he makes a good recovery, a good horse, Shame for Sam Thomas but he will have KS or Denman for the gold cup.
Shame about ED but he is sucha class horse, deserves a good win, ran so well last time
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Kauto Star was amazing, and is far and away the best chaser in training. After Dessie, the best I've seen in my lifetime.
Taking the form of Denman's races literally, I have the greatest respect for him, and he is a serious horse. But to put it into perspective, Kauto Star running off the mark that Denman did in the Hennessy would have been at least as impressive. And I don't for a minute believe that Denman would ever have the class to win a Tingle Creek.
He'll surely win on Friday, tho'. Even tho' I'm Beef or Salmon's biggest fan, I think he might be a bit long in the tooth now.......
 
I was very impressed with Kauto Star at Kempton as he jumped much better than he has ever done before. Taranis looked very wound up before racing I thought, very sweaty and was even more wound up than before he won the Ryanair at Cheltenham. Just makes you wonder sometimes if horses are habouring a potential weakness and that while they can feel it maybe others -including the trained eyes- cannot.
He is not the best horse I have seen in training though as I have had a soft spot for many a chaser before him with one being the very talented 2 miler Viking Flagship.
Caroline
 
I think sweating up tends to be more of an indication of frame of mind than anything else. If it's unusual, it's often a sign of them being over the top. I do think when Taranis started to labour so early that it was a clear sign of something amiss tho'.
Denman was good today, but IMO he's not got the beating of KS on that performance. KS beat Beef Or Salmon with more disdain than Denman did today, and today's ground wouldn't have been as soft as at Haydock, which would have helped B or S more.
KS is a freak, and I have to disagreee with you in the nicest possible way, Cazee.
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There are a few greats that I have watched in recent years, but KS is head and shoulders above everything. The specialist two milers like Viking Flagship are thrilling, and One Man was exceptional on his day, but to win over the variety of trips KS has, and win two Betfair Chases, two Tingle Creeks, two King George's, and a Gold Cup as well as all the lesser races has to make him irrefutably, on proven form alone, the best chaser since Dessie.
And he's still a seven year old...........
 
I would agree about the frame of mind Jenny as regards to sweating and also about being over the top too. I can remember some years ago seeing a top chaser of the late David Nicholson's ( whom I had a great deal of respect for) sweating up very badly before a race. It looked very ott and I don't know call it a gut feeling but I just didn't think the horse looked right as I had backed it and seen it run before that season. It died during the race. I think it fell from memory or it may have broken down as I can't be too sure as it was a long time ago. I just know that in my mind the horse should not have ran as something looked clearly amiss.
In the case of Taranis I know the horse could sweat up and be on its toes in the preliminaries as it was that very fact that put me off backing it before the Ryanair, despite having a good tip for the horse from a good friend.
The only horse I can remember from memory that ran perfectly fine with foamng sweat dripping down its neck and other places was the Robert Alner-trained Super Tactics which had a love affair with Kempton Park. I backed the horse several times during its victories including the Racing Post chase in February 1998.
So far as Kauto Star is concerned I do like the horse don't get me wrong as amongst many things he actually reminds me of Dougal my horse lol, facially that is, as my lad couldn't even begin to match his accolades lol.
Whilst Kauto Star is indeed just as his namesake ( a star) I am still not convinced about him being a true champion and even though this year's King George's victory was flawless in the jumping department I still believe his chance of success at Cheltenham next March is just that, a chance.
I was hugely impressed by Denman at Newbury but his win today at Leopardstown even less so. That said his victory in last year's Sun Alliance chase was exhilarating to watch and as far as I am concerned I still believe that race is by the far the best pointer to any potential chasing star including any future aspirations of the victor ( or runner up) being crowned a Cheltenham Gold Cup winner.
Ok some could argue that I am being too picky about Nicholls's charge but as a form student and former racing journalist I like to analyze races and don't always get swept up by the 'hype' of a horse's success.
Kauto Star is a very very good horse that is true but as far as I am concerned he still has a long way to go to even be considered in the same league as Desert Orchid who is the best steeplechaser of my generation in my opinion.
I will say one thing though I do hope both Kauto and Denman make it to Cheltenham because above all else it will most probably turn out to be the race of the meeting in terms of spectatorship
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Caz
 
I mostly agree with you, but I still think KS is the real deal.
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He clocked the fastest time of the day per furlong at Kempton, and that was winning a distance in a hack canter. He's already won at Cheltenham, and if the Gold cup last year was crabbed as not a true run race, then the same applies tenfold to the Lexus for Denman today.
Just for the record, I am never guilty of believing the hype.
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I am (or was until my erratic internet connection fried my head) a form anorak as well. I still don't think Best Mate was the superstar he was applauded as. He was a brilliantly placed and trained very talented horse who won three of the weakest Gold Cups for a while.
I think Jair du Cochet would have stuffed him if he hadn't met with a fatal injury at home.
But isn't this the pull of the game? Everyone has their favourites, Beefy is one of mine, it's such a disappointment that everytime he came to Cheltenham he never ran to his Irish form, yet soundly beat three Gold Cup winners on home ground.
The joy with both the Ditcheat horses is that they are still delivering, and what a thrill it'll be for them both to arrive there sound and well in March. Bring it on!!
I bet Ruby picks KS tho'......
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And Dessie is still King.......both these two have along way to go to match him..........I bubbled at the RUK tribute to him on Christmas morning, sad old bird that I am......
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The sweating thing is strange, some horses, like Montjeu, did, and some of his progeny do as well. And you'd have been concerned that they were wrong if they didn't. The novice chaser that Fitzy rode and won on at Kempton, Boomshakala, was lathered before the start, but apart from an attempt to put himself on the floor at the first, he scooted up.

The one thing I miss about the UK is the racing, I am like a kid in a sweetie shop when I can go back and go racing with my mitts on the RP in the flesh, as it were!!
 
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. I still don't think Best Mate was the superstar he was applauded as. He was a brilliantly placed and trained very talented horse who won three of the weakest Gold Cups for a while.

well said there. would have liked to see him carrying 12.7 and giving other horses a two stone weight advantage as well as a thrashing....

"And Dessie is still King.......both these two have along way to go to match him..........I bubbled at the RUK tribute to him on Christmas morning, sad old bird that I am......
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!!

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and neither could dessie. funny really how wayward lad was nearly as brilliant round kempton (some would say as brilliant) got beat in the gold cup by a horse superior to dessie, best mate and a great many others (the immortal Dawn Run) and never got a moments credit for it being brown and all.....
There will never be another Arkle but kauto star wins in a canter and beats good horse while he is at it!
 
I'm fractionally confused by your post, RT, but I assume you mean Arkle's above Dessie??
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Arkle was the best ever, but he wasn't in my lifetime, well he was, but I was only a baby, so I don't remember him!!

Dawn Run, brilliant mare and a victim of greed.......
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Bloody thing! I keep backing Exotic Dancer thinking Kauto's got to have an off day soon but I'm starting to think its never gonna happen. Kauto Star is one awesome horse.
 
Well said re. Wayward Lad. I must have been one of the few willing Dawn Run to slow down that day so that WL could win just one Gold Cup!
One of my favourite horses and one of the best never to win a Gold Cup.

I've got my seat well and truly booked for Friday 14th March......bring it on!
 
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