Kauto Star passed fit for more Gold Cup heroics

The only horse ever to regain the crown after adding success in 2009 to his first two years earlier, Clive Smith’s gelding has been in irresistible form this term, defeating 2011 hero Long Run in both the Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase.

And the 12-year-old, arguably the best steeplechaser since Arkle dominated racing in the 1960s, delighted connections in his latest workout, according to the latest update from Nicholls ahead of his stable star’s date with destiny.

“He’s in good form,” said Nicholls. “Clifford (Baker) worked him on Saturday morning and we’ve got three weeks to get him in tip-top form.”

His half-brother Kauto Stone is also on target for Cheltenham with the Queen Mother Champion Chase rather than the Ryanair Chase looking the more likely option after he ran too free in the Ascot Chase last time. “If he ran in the Ryanair the way he did at Ascot he won’t get home so we might look at the Champion Chase,” said Nicholls.

One horse not contesting the Gold Cup – Kauto Star was also second in 2008 and bounced back to third last year after suffering a heavy fall in the 2010 renewal – is his old King George adversary Nacarat.

The grey, a brilliant winner of last season’s Charlie Hall Chase winner at Wetherby, excels at Kempton and was an emotional winner of the Racing Plus Chase on Saturday, a three-mile handicap that he also won in 2009 before being placed in the last two renewals.

Kempton’s King George, landed a record-breaking five times by Kauto Star and contested off level weights, has proved on three occasions to be a little beyond Nacarat’s reach.

But the slight drop in grade back to a top-end handicap around the flat course has always fitted his requirements, as illustrated by his latest victory.

Beaten by 41 lengths by Kauto Star on Boxing Day, Nacarat (9-2) could take charge on this occasion and was in command until joined by Hector’s Choice turning for home.

Hector’s Choice, though, could not match the Tom George-trained Nacarat at jumping and spurned his chance with two consecutive mistakes, allowing Paddy Brennan to seize control once again to push the crowd favourite 11 lengths clear.

“He’s a wonderful horse, it’s all about him today,” said a beaming Brennan. “Against these, today he was a different class. He was superb. He loves Kempton and has had his day in the sun. You need to have speed and you need to stay at Kempton, and he has it all.

“Tom had him spot-on and he was fitter than he’d ever been in his life.”

Leading Grand National contender Planet Of Sound finished in a weary third place for Richard Johnson, while pre-race 7-2 favourite Michel Le Bon pulled up early – further evidence that the Nicholls stable is not firing on all cylinders.

Pointing out Nacarat’s liking for good ground on flattish tracks, George said: “He won’t go to Cheltenham or back to Punchestown. He could go to Aintree again (Betfred Bowl), but it depends on the ground.”

The fortunate man to own Nacarat is Simon Clarke whose father Stan owned Lord Gyllene – the runaway winner of the 1997 ‘bomb scare’ National. “I’m a very lucky owner. He’s given me some of the best days of my life,” said Clarke of Nacarat. “He loves it here – he jumps and he breaks other horses’ hearts.”

Yet, while Nacarat swerves Cheltenham, George and Brennan have a Festival substitute in Baby Mix – now a leading player in the Triumph Hurdle market, open to four-year-old hurdling stars of the future, after his Kempton victory.

His return to form was one of a number of slightly perplexing Triumph trials – the odds-on Sadler’s Risk was two lengths in arrears while Minsk, the ante-post favourite prior to the weekend, will miss Cheltenham after being beaten on his jumping debut at Naas. Trainer Dessie Hughes blamed an infection for the defeat.

The new ante-post favourite is Grumeti who won his Kempton heat on Saturday. He also has Cheltenham experience – he beat Baby Mix when prevailing at the Festival track at the end of January.

Yet there is no guarantee that Alan King’s stable jockey Robert Thornton will ride Grumeti – the latter was particularly taken by stablemate Balder Success and the manner of his recent Ascot victory.

King and Thornton specialise in the Triumph – they won the 2005 and 2007 renewals with Penzance and Katchit respectively – and the jockey said yesterday: “A lot can happen in two and a half weeks.

“Balder Succes is the more rangy of the two, taller with less about him. His future is next season because, while he has loads of talent, he also has a lot of strengthening up to do and he can still be a bit gassy.”

[email protected]