Kauto Star retired

[Guest]

A proper legend.

[mayo]

He was some horse at his peak.

I think that was probably the 2009 King George http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh0BKgmx0VM

It has been remarkable that he was able to operate at the level he has over such a long period of time. His first Cheltenham Festival was when he fell in the Newmill Champion Chase...

[mayo]

Ruby Reflects ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef7Eo9bMMzA

[Terry]

Walsh partnered Kauto Star to 17 victories, including his Gold Cup triumphs and his five wins in the King George. He said: "He's the horse of my lifetime. I'm very lucky to be the one who got to ride him.

"He was an incredible horse from the beginning, from when he won his novice chase in Newbury all the way to his fifth King George.

"He's got me to places I didn't think I'd ever be. He was just an incredible horse.

"A couple of Gold Cups, Betfair Chases, five King Georges, Tingle Creeks - he did everything.
"He was an amazing horse to ride and an amazing horse to be part of and I loved every minute of riding him.

"I remember going to Newbury to ride him (on his first run in Britain) and thinking, 'This is half an Arkle'.

"Paul said he was a nice horse and he came down the straight with his head in his chest.

"I had so much horse underneath me and from that day I was in love with him.

"He had a few knocks and a few setbacks but he was always an exceptional horse and a tough horse.

"He came back from hard races and heavy falls. He just kept coming back and getting back up to Grade One level again.

"He was a little indecisive (when jumping), so you always then had to be decisive.

"I have some amazing memories, so many good days.

"He was a wonderful horse to be riding and a wonderful horse to have in your life."

Jockey Sam Thomas, who won the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard Denman, partnered Kauto to glory in the 2007 Betfair Chase at Haydock.

He said: "I was lucky enough to ride him and win on him and he has been a very special horse.

"He did an enormous amount to raise the profile of National Hunt racing and I think enormous credit has to go to Paul Nicholls for producing to win all those big races on the big days.

"To win two Gold Cups, Tingle Creeks and five King Georges is incredible and he might not have done that had he been trained by anyone else.

"It's a shame we won't see him run again but at least he will be able to enjoy his retirement with his old friend Denman.

"I think Kauto's record will struggle to be beaten in my generation and now he's retired, along with Denman, it's the end of an era.

"The battles between the two of them were a big part of my career and part of my life that I'll never forget.

"Kauto was a wonder horse and we might not see the likes of him and Denman again."

[Sefton]

We may never see his likes again ...

[mayo]

Kauto Star has been hailed as the finest steeplechaser for more than 40 years by Timeform following the decision to retire the twelve-year-old...

The popular veteran amassed a record-breaking 16 Grade 1 wins during his eight seasons after joining Paul Nicholls from France, including two Cheltenham Gold Cups, four Betfair Chases at Haydock and five King George VI Chases at Kempton - the only other horse apart from Kauto Star to have won a top-level race over jumps in Britain five times is Golden Miller, who won the Gold Cup five times in a row in the 1930s.

It is another multiple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, however, who sets the standard so far as top chasers are concerned, namely Arkle. Even Kauto Star cannot match up to that level of form, but he produced a string of performances which suggest he can safely be viewed as the best since Arkle - notably his 13-length defeat of stable-companion Denman in the 2009 Gold Cup (he is the only Gold Cup winner to regain his title) and an imperious wide-margin in the King George later that year (Arkle is the only other horse to have won that race by a distance).

Timeform jumps handicapper Phil Turner commented: "Although we're still confident Arkle was the greatest horse in National Hunt history, the fact we rate Kauto Star as the best since his era should be viewed as a huge compliment when one considers some of the names who'd previously vied for that title. Kauto Star earned a Timeform rating of 191 at his peak, which is the highest figure since our Chasers & Hurdlers series began in 1975/6. In addition, very few during that period could match Kauto Star in terms of consistency, versatility or longevity. He should rightly be viewed as a giant of the sport."

The latest edition of Chasers & Hurdlers (available at http://www.timeform.com/main.asp) sees Kauto Star regain his position as Timeform's top-rated staying chaser, a title he'd held in four of the previous five seasons, whilst it's worth remembering he was also twice Timeform's top-rated two-mile chaser earlier in his career. These achievements are all the more meritorious when one considers they've come during a period which can be viewed as a golden age of steeplechasing.

Kauto Star's essay in Chasers & Hurdlers of 2011/12 draws parallels with heavyweight boxing greats, arguing that the warmest feelings are often reserved for those champions who come back to the top after being written off by some - Kauto Star, for example, arguably wasn't so popular as Denman early in their rivalry, but he was the undoubted "people's champion" during the latest campaign when reversing 2010/11 form with Long Run to claim emotional wins in both the Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase.

The book also warns against the perils of carrying on for too long: "Alas not many of the sporting greats enjoy the type of end to a glorious career that they deserve. Muhammad Ali, for example, certainly isn't the only heavyweight boxing champion who carried on for too long - probably only Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano and Lennox Lewis can claim to have gone out 'at the top' in the 130-year history of the heavyweight championship".

Therefore, Kauto Star's connections are unlikely to have too many second thoughts about the decision to retire, particularly as the Timeform annual concludes that his 2011/12 campaign represented "a fitting end to the career of a horse who has done more than any of his generation to promote steeplechasing to the wider public beyond the sport's diehards."

Timeform's highest-rated steeplechasers since Chasers & Hurdlers began in 1975/6:
191 Kauto Star
187 Desert Orchid
184+ Moscow Flyer
184 Burrough Hill Lad
184 Long Run
(Selected others: Best Mate 182, Captain Christy 182, Denman 181, Master Minded 179, One Man 179)

[Yeehaa]

Farewell King Kauto

By Ruby Walsh

Thursday, November 01, 2012

I knew this was coming, obviously, and it’s sad, but I’m delighted that Kauto Star has got out in one piece.

Kauto Star was simply the best I have ever ridden, or am likely to ride. He had everything, guts, determination, durability and the ability to fight back when defeat was staring him in the face.

It was a privilege to be associated with the horse and he gave me my greatest days in racing.

His record speaks for itself, the winner of the King George on five occasions and two successes in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, to go with numerous other major victories.

On top of that, of course, he is the only horse in history to regain the Gold Cup, after losing the trophy.

As far as I am concerned he was the horse of a lifetime and I will always be grateful to Paul Nicholls and Clive Smith for putting their trust in me.

Paul is a great trainer, Clive a great owner and then you had terrific staff at Paul’s looking after Kauto.

He was fabulous and nothing ever fazed him. He did it left-handed, right-handed, on flat and undulating tracks and, most importantly, over every distance.

Kauto had the speed to win at two miles and then the speed and endless stamina to be just as effective over three and a quarter.

Take the first year he landed the Gold Cup, 2007, for instance. That season he also won the Tingle Creek at Sandown, over two miles, and then the three-mile King George at Kempton.

If you sit down and think about that for a second then you can only describe such an achievement as quite extraordinary.

And there was also the little matter of a £1m bonus that Kauto Star landed for those three wins.

I loved everything about the horse and he was a dream to ride. There was always something to look forward to when he was around and I adored the pressure that came with him.

What was our best day? There is no one answer to that question, because there were so many.

That first Gold Cup, when we beat Exotic Dancer by two and a half lengths, has to be high on the list.

I always wanted to win the Gold Cup and when Kauto did the business the feeling was everything, and more, I had hoped it would be.

Then there was the manner in which Kauto bounced back to win his fifth King George.

In May of last year it looked as if he was finished. He ran at Punchestown in the Guinness Gold Cup and I had to pull him up.

I suppose deep down I believed that would the last day I’d ride him and the vast majority of the public had to think the same.

But Paul and Clive had other ideas and so in November we arrived at Haydock for the Betfair Chase.

What followed was a real fairytale. Kauto was amazing and we destroyed Long Run to the tune of eight lengths. I could hardly credit it and we returned to the most magical of receptions, with Paul at his most animated. Paul was certainly entitled to be more than pleased with himself.

And then to put the icing on the cake, Kauto went on to Kempton and beat Long Run again in the King George.

Last March I pulled him up in the Gold Cup and, I suppose, it was inevitable that was to be our swansong. I have absolutely no regrets and will be forever grateful to the mighty Kauto.

Someone asked me yesterday what life will be like without him. Listen, life goes on and I have those wonderful memories to treasure.

You always have to look ahead in this game and the plan now is to find the next Kauto Star. Mind you, I wouldn’t be overly hopeful about that!

I’ll finish talking about him in this way. If I have a bad day at the office there is one sure way of putting a smile back on my face.

All I have to do is watch one of his races and that will do it every time. There will never be another Kauto Star, at least for me.