Kauto Star

To put it mildly ,

Most Tingle Creek Chase winners have claims to best two mile chaser around.

Most King George winners have claims to be the best three mile chaser around.

Most Gold Cup winners have claims to be the best staying chaser around.

If you win one of those, regardless of which horses did or didnt turn up, regardless of how far you won it, regardless of how easily you were supposed to win it on the ratings, regardless of what the trainer said this time last week, you have claims to be the best around in that sphere, because by the nature of the races themselves most of the best horses that are able to turn up, turn up. Some didnt, but so what, not your fault.

If you win all three, in the same season, then you stand astride the entire sport, regardless of for how long, but for a period of time you stand astride the entire sport, a superstar.

Ask yourselves how many Tingle Creek winners of recent times could have won a Gold Cup that year. Or ask yourself how many Gold Cup winners could have won that seasons Tingle Creek. The list will be very short.

I dont think a horse necessarily has to do it for two or more years just to satisfy the serial layers who wanted him on the floor at Cheltenham and sourpuss selfmade judges who cannot categorically give a definition of what a horse is to do to in order to justify a superstar tag. These people will always find a way of explaining how the Gold Cup was substandard. There have been so many substandard Gold Cups and King Georges just lately according to these people, that surely by now these substandard races are standard!! To give out that, well it didnt beat this horse ( not in the race) , and he hasnt beaten that horse (not in the race) is not the answer, neither is shouting loudest and longest. To bluster out that he wont do it again is easy,cheap and lazy and doesn't take away the fact that he did do it last season.

A ridiculous feat.

One thing is certain neither Denman or My Way de Solzen or Star De Mohaison or anything else this season is about to win all three of those races even if they do beat Kauto Star in one or more, there is nothing to prove that they would have beaten him last season.

For at least the one season, he has been a superstar. Belittling his achievement is meaningless and says plenty about the commentators who can find no joy in a horse that wins everything but just want to say , 'well i dont rate it much'
 
I for one would like to say, I never wanted Kauto Star to fall at Cheltenham and never thought he would . I also had a large bet on him.

Difference is, maybe its because I was growing up and it seemed better or because they were my first years in Racing but I certainly felt the standard of the Gold Cup was better in the 90s. Maybe its like I say because of the excitement of working with some classy horses who were Cheltenham bound but I don't think I've seen a better Gold Cup than 1999 when I was leading up in the Triumph.

Also I'm not trying to put Kauto Star down, I don't disagree what he has done he has done it well but I just feel he may have been somewhat fortunate last year.

Rory if Brian knows Clive then of course he will know alot more than me and I wasn't aware of these so said facts about Mr Nicholls thinking he was a Gold Cup horse. All I knew was the start of the season the lads were excited about the Champion Chase.

I'm not gonna say too much or name people but both people I know connected to the yard said to me that Kauto Star wouldn't win at Aintree and wasn't showing his same spark. These same 2 people also had said on many occasions that they fought long term Denman would be a better horse.

Rory finally your not gonna change my opinion on Exotic Dancer and I personally think he will finish in front of Kauto in the Gold Cup this year. He may well have beaten Turpin Green, State Of Play and Our Vic but sadly Turpin Green ran ######, State Of play ain't as good as his trainer thinks he is, he was just a well handicapped winner of the Hennessy and as for Our Vic 2m 4f horse over 3m.

I also was implying on both Racing Demon and Monet's Garden. Racing Demon is a horse I very much like I just think he needs testing ground and a stiff 2m 4f. Thats why i would like to see him campaigned in Ireland.
 
Well Landlark what do you think? You really got them talking! :D

I will just add that ages ago before he won his first Tingle Creek I was told by the man who rides him at home that he thought Kauto Star was the best horse he had ever ridden, and he had ridden two Gold Cup winners in his time. He felt that the horse would stay but had exceptional speed as compared to a very fast Arkle and Queen Mother winner he also rode at home. This guy says very little and in telling me this risked my wrath because one of the Gold Cup winners he had ridden is my all time favourite horse. However, he was dead serious, and obviously REALLY impressed. I think he said this horse was basically, 'on a different planet'.

So far he has been right - we will just have to wait and see if any other extra terrestrials appear in his stable or elsewhere.

Definitely something to look forward to.
 
Chrisbeekracing seems to add to the theory that they are a weak bunch, but i must admit Uncle Goobers was what i like to believe!
 
I've just re-read my own post from November last year ~ I used to be really intelligent, innit? I wonder what went wrong?
 
It seems unthinkable on reading this thread that Denman could ever have won a Gold Cup, not least beating Kauto Star, doesn't it?!

Goober's still alive - he sulked when no-one begged him to come back, then sulked again when no-one mentioned his point to point winner! :laughing:
 
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