Will Kauto Star win the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
Kauto Star has quickly risen to fame in the world of horse-jumping, he possesses a raw talent that has allowed him to achieve a majestic reputation in the sport. His performance is generally unswerving from the excellence that has made him a popular favorite, he has great strength and stamina as well an unfailing acceleration after jumping that is maintained throughout the physical strain of the race (called “turn of foot” in horse racing terms). He has set several records in the sport, including winning the King George Chase IV four consecutive years in a row, and, dramatically, regaining the Cheltenham Gold Cup last year after having lost in 2008. He is the first horse in history to accomplish this feat, defeating the 2008 champion and his stable mate, Denman. These two horses, with an established rivalry on the course that has seen unmatched popular-media hype for horse-racing in modern times, will once again face each other in this year’s Gold Cup race.
Horse-racing pundits place the competition for first place between the two stars trained by Paul Nicholls, Kauto Star and Denman, predicting that other horses will only show or perhaps place, come in third and second place respectively. Kauto Star is currently the favorite of almost all online bookies, with Denman in second. On paddypower.com, for example, Kauto Star has 4/6 odds to win posted compared to Denman’s 4/1. However, Kauto Star’s lead in betting odds was replicated in 2008 when Denman won the race.
As such, Kauto Star’s largest hurdle on the course will be Denman. Denman is a strong beast and has already proven himself in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, Paul Nicholls’ best rider, Ruby Walsh, has once again chosen to ride with Kauto Star. Tony McCoy will ride on Denman. It should be noted that Denman unseated McCoy at Newbury in February in a race that he was losing. With this turbulent behavior so recently, Denman’s best is not guaranteed; especially since Denman is not as consistent in his performance as Kauto Star and, hence, there is less chance that he his performance will be his best. Denman also lacks the remarkable turn of foot and stamina that distinguish Kauto Star and will be essential in the over three mile race containing twenty two hurdles. Denman was operated on for an irregular heart beat since winning in 2008 and some claim that he has yet to regain his previous level, although Nicholls denies this.
Kauto Star has had an impressive 2009/2010 season; unlike in 2008 when the disappointment in Cheltenham was preceded by a considerably sub-par season. In December, he broke the aforementioned record of four consecutive wins at the King George IV Chase, beating iconic racehorse Desert Orchid’s previous record of four inconsecutive wins. His performance was “faultless” and considered the best of his career, winning by 36 lengths; this broke Arkle’s record from 1966 of 30 lengths. In light of his remarkable performance, he tied for the third highest rating of any racehorse of all time, behind only Arkle and Flyingbolt. Paul Nicholls has stated that Kauto Star is in very good physical condition.
Despite the apparent domination of previous champions Kauto Star and Denman, the other horse should not be immediately dismissed. Imperial Commander, the fourth favorite with winning odds at 9/1, lost by a very narrow margin to Kauto Star at Haydock in November and is reported to be in great physical condition. Cooldine, the third favorite with winning odds at 9/1, has extremely good stamina which will be essential in the Gold Cup race; moreover, his trainer reports that he is top physical condition, to the extent to provoke an upset to the race’s expectations for Denman and Kauto Star.
At this point, with all things being equal, it seems that Kauto Star has a very large chance of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup for the third time; this view is echoed in both popular perception and the betting odds for the race. He is performing better than ever, in contrast to Denman, and has been well prepared by the masterful training of Paul Nicholls. Kauto Star has proven his worth and is already one of the best racehorses in history, on the road to becoming the best. Under Ruby Walsh’s saddle, he is in extremely good hands to channel his potential into actual race results. However, anything can happen leading up to the race and in the race itself.
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