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Kauto to Face Five
By Andy Newton
Last updated: 13:49 Friday, November 21, 2008
Betfair Chase at Haydock
Ok, so at the time of writing we’ve only got seven runners left in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday and despite this likely to reduce even further the sheer presence alone of 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kauto Star makes this a contest that all jump racing fans will not want to miss.
Paul Nicholls’ star-chaser will be one of the more certain runners and therefore it should be safe to revolve this preview around him. Still only 8 years-old, and yet to finish out of the first two in his 17 completed starts in this country, this racing superstar has now amassed over £1.3 million in win and place prize money and that's sure to increase further.
This was always going to be a big season for Paul Nicholls’ inmate after stable mate, Denman, lowered his colours and took his Cheltenham crown last March. People began to ask themselves if we’ve already seen the best of this French-bred and those doubters had more fuel for the fire a few weeks later in April when Kauto was again beaten into second at Aintree by Our Vic - in a classic. Those defeats were the first time the Clive Smith-owned runner had lost twice on the bounce since 2005, 13 runs back, but let’s not forget that he’d been beaten on the flat Aintree track in the past and after a busy season it would be foolish for punters to totally write him off on those efforts.
He was then put away for the summer with the aim to try and regain his Cheltenham crown as his main target for this season. He’s duly started to answer his critics with a reappearance win over in Ireland at Down Royal a few weeks ago, and although he beat little it was the manner of victory that will have his hardened fans running to the bookmaker’s counter to get on him for the Blue Ribband next year.
That win saw his price shorten into a BestPrice now of 3/1, as short as 2/1, for the Gold Cup in March, and with another polished display this Saturday, and the slight doubts as to whether his main rival, Denman, will make the race in peak condition, means that if you do fancy Kauto to claim back his Cheltenham crown you should probably do it before Saturday.
Being the superstar he is he’ll always have those willing to take him on as there is generally not much downside when laying him. He’s also without regular pilot, Ruby Walsh, this weekend after he took a bad tumble at Prestbury Park last Saturday. Nicholls’ number two, Sam Thomas, steps in for the mount, and again although some will cling onto this as a slight negative Sam took over the reigns in this very same contest 12 months ago and used all his strength to get the better of old rival Exotic Dancer by half a length.
So, can anyone in Saturday’s line-up cause an upset?
Old foe Exotic Dancer looks set to re-oppose, but he’s now seen the back of Kauto Star four times when finishing runner-up to him and was also well behind the Nicholls’ runner in last year’s Gold Cup. Yes, he’s a class act and in another lifetime would have certainly won the Cheltenham showpiece, but for me it’s hard to see him beating a rival he’s got a terrible record against, and if you also throw in the fact his last win was way back in April 2007, seven runs ago, then although his reappearance second in the Old Roan Chase has a fair effort I think the best he can possible hope for is a runners-up slot in this race again.
Peter Bowen’s Snoopy Loopy was a close third in the Old Roan Chase last month, so is closely matched with Exotic Dancer, but he was getting over a stone that day and with this contest off level-weights then everything points to Exotic Dancer coming out on top again. It’s also worth being aware that Snoopy has been on the go now for a while (raced during the summer) and having not really had a break for a year (13 races), and the hard race he had in the Charlie Hall three weeks ago further adds to the negatives against him.
The trainer of the moment, Nigel Twiston-Davies, will be hoping for another big weekend after his successes at Cheltenham last week and should Ollie Magern make it to post then he’ll certainly have his supporters for the forecast. Ollie was just touched-off in the Charlie Hall by State of Play, after making most of the running, and although some will argue he’ll come on for that effort, being his first run of the season, he actually goes better fresh and connections might just have to wait for another day for further glory.
The Pipe team have Tamarinbleu entered at this stage, and on his best form he’s certainly an interesting one to go close. He’s another that did well in the first part of the season last term, after recording good wins in the Boylesports Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot in December and January. However, he lost his way a bit after that, disappointing at the Festival and at Aintree and with the Pipe team openly a bit worried about their string (pulled out a number of runners at Cheltenham last weekend) then it’s hard to be confident about his chance.
Finally, last year’s Grand National favourite, Cloudy Lane, could line-up. He’s still only 8 years-old, so could have plenty left in the tank and after a recent pipe-opener at Aintree he at least comes here fitter than most and although he’s another that looks to have plenty to find with Exotic Dancer, based on that Old Roan run - with a course and distance win here at Haydock I’m hoping, should he run, that he could do best of the rest.
Recommended Bets - 4pts Forecast – 1st Kauto Star, 2nd Exotic Dancer
Recommended Bets - 1/2pt Forecast – 1st Kauto Star, 2nd Cloudy Lane