'Lethal' Kauto Star in form of his life contends Nicholls

Only Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate have won the blue riband event at least three times – up to 40m will be riding on whether the brilliant 10-year-old can join this exclusive club.

This esteemed quartet made history by winning steeplechasing's most prestigious race in consecutive years, but Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup 12 months ago

Having been kept fresh since winning a fourth King George VI Chase in spectacular fashion, champion trainer Nicholls believes it will take an astonishing performance for his stable star to be denied.

Nicholls, and big-race jockey Ruby Walsh, warmed up for today's Gold Cup by winning yesterday's feature, the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, on Big Buck's.

And, while Nicholls's four runners include the favourite's great rival, and 2008 Gold Cup nemesis Denman, the trainer believes Kauto Star is in the form of his life after winning a fourth successive King George VI Chase on Boxing Day in imperious style.

"It was such a wonderful performance at Kempton," eulogised Nicholls.

"When he is fit he is lethal and there is nothing I can say to put anyone off him."

According to the bookmakers, the bay gelding has most to fear from stablemate and 2008 winner Denman, who finished second 12 months ago after an interrupted preparation following a heart operation.

Yet again Denman's last appearance before Cheltenham did not go to plan as he left his new jockey Tony McCoy on the floor in the Aon Chase which was won by another stablemate Tricky Trickster, who reopposes today.

McCoy, whose Ryanair Chase victory yesterday was sandwiched by a pair of heavy falls, is back in the saddle subject to passing a health check this morning and the racing world is itching to see the two best horses and the two best jockeys competing in the highlight of the season.

"Denman did a very good piece of work with Tricky Trickster at the weekend. The more you do and the more you drill him the better he gets," added Nicholls.

"The danger with Denman is that you go off too quick on him and get to the bottom of him too soon.

"He loves a battle and if he had got into a scrap with Niche Market at Newbury he would have loved it."

Professional gambler Harry Findlay, Denman's larger than life co-owner whose family hails from Sheffield, admitted last night that he will be a satisfied man if the two-time Hennessy winner finishes an honest second to Kauto Star.

"My wish is that Denman turns up and puts in a great performance," said Findlay.

"If he turns up and gets beat two or three lengths by Kauto Star, then I will be thrilled.

"This will be the best Kauto Star we have ever seen. He is the best three-mile-plus chaser for the last 40 years."

One horse who could spoil Kauto Star's coronation, and turn the race into a contest rather than a procession, is Imperial Commander, the horse that came within a whisker of beating the champion in last November's Betfair Chase at Haydock.

His 10-1 odds are appealing, but the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained horse blundered at the second in the King George and the stable have, to date, not had a National Hunt Festival to remember.

Twiston-Davies rejected suggestions that his horse, last year's Ryanair Chase winner, has stamina doubts.

"He certainly will have improved from Haydock. That was his first run of the season and he's a big burly horse," said the trainer.

"He's an awful lot fitter now and he's really lean and mean and keen."

Bookmakers certainly hope Twiston-Davies is right – or that one of the horses using the Gold Cup as a Grand National trial, such as North Yorkshire trainer Paul Murphy's two outsiders, can spring a surprise to rival the defeat 20 years ago of Desert Orchid by 100-1 shot Norton's Coin, the unheralded horse who was trained by a Welsh dairy farmer.

"We're hoping for anything other than Kauto Star on Denman," said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe. "Most of the money will be bet (today) and it's the biggest race of the week.

"A lot of people will be doing Kauto and Denman in doubles. It will be the big last gasp from punters; any of the others winning will be the cherry on the icing for us."