Kauto Star

Oh, he's still around alright!! He's been back in for a while now and I won't disclose the names he was called recently!!
 
numbersix said:
I notice Notre Pere is in the line up. With the Greenougue inmates clearly ready, Chiraaz having popped up at Galway in the week, the Conway owned gelding is going to be my e/w saver after a decent novice campaign last season included a place in the Irish National - the horse is a dour stayer and mudlark so could well be plugging on when others have cried enough. 50/1 looks terrific value.
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Are you sure he's an intended runner? He's even bigger on Betfair.
 
carvillshill said:
Are you sure he's an intended runner? He's even bigger on Betfair.
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He wouldn't be expected to be shorter on Betfair ~ no bookie likes laying an arb. In reality there is no Betfair market as yet with peanuts being matched on the event despite the favourite being long odds on.
 
The way I see it, Kauto Star handles soft ground but is about 10lbs less effective on it as he is on good.

On that basis, there isn't much at all between him and The Listener and the latter is more than capable of making a race of it in these conditions.

I make it 4/5 Kauto, 13/8 The Listener - so have taken some 7/2 The Listener.

There you have it. Consider my neck stuck out.
 
When a price looks too good to be true, it probably is
only 5 runners- Kauto, The Listener, Knight Legend, Turpin Green and Light On The Broom. 4/7 Kauto with glue bear....
 
According to sportinglife.com, Nick Mitchell says he has walked the course and that the ground is "soft, almost heavy".

If The Listener tries to make it a stamina test from the front (which I expect him to), I can't imagine that Kauto Star will be given too hard a ride in that ground - they won't want him bottomed-out at this stage of the season.
 
Anyone laying Kauto Star at bigger than 4/6 is similarly playing with fire of course. I'd say Knight Legend e/w is value given his proven fitness and the fact that he sandwiched Turko and The Listener in the Ryanair. Question marks over his ability to stay the trip in very soft ground put me off having a bet right now.
 
The Listener did not run his race but great to see far more spark about Kauto Star today. Very nice introduction.
 
Those who kept talking at the time and still keep talking now as though KS was the same horse last year as the year before, esp after his accident and esp in the GC, were and are talking nonsense imo. He was certainly never right after his injury, and both one's own eyes and stories from both Cheltenham and the yard underlined this.

We now have the real KS back, and we can start to make valid comparisons. His exhibition today was wonderful to watch - he is clearly back to himself and we shall NOW be able to see how he measure up.
 
firstpastthepost said:
looked sharper than his 1st run last year and ruby seemed to be very happy... all roads to haydock
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Probably true, but worth remembering that, whereas he was conceding a stone to a horse rated 165 at Aintree last year, he beat a horse rated 135 off level weights today.

Certainly seemed to travel much better through the race though.
 
firstpastthepost said:
The first-time noseband in order to help him concentrate seemed to work i cant really record him making a small error let alone his normal type.
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Worth pointing out that Kauto Star's jumping at Haydock, Kempton and Ascot last year was almost flawless. His jumping shortcomings at Cheltenham were very much atypical.
 
Knight Legend set no more than a fair pace, but it wasn't funereal by any means. It certainly tested The Listener's jumping.
 
ruby seemed more than happy
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Significant in itself. Naturally hes best to judge whether this is the Kauto of old (and if he is, this is yet another fine training performance)

Personally i was thrilled with what i saw. Still consider him to be the best jumper since DO
 
Nicholls probably couldn't have scripted it better. Got a good solid run into him without him being tested in any meaningful way.
 
The Listener never travelled today-I'd say the each way thieves got stung.He never looked at ease on the track.
 
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