Kauto Star Profile
There are many horses that come and go from the Cheltenham Festival but very few make legendary status. One of the Cheltenham Festival legends that will forever be linked with the four days is 11-year-old Bay Gelding Kauto Star.
Kauto Star has become one of the Cheltenham Festival legends because the horse has taken to the festival, and particularly the Gold Cup, like a duck to water. A large part of this is down to trainer Paul Nicholls who will be hoping Kauto Star has another win in the bank before retirement.
Kauto Star's First Race
Kauto Star's first race came over 18 furlongs at Newbury on December 29 2004. Kauto Star's first race also produced a first win for the horse as Ruby Walsh hunted Tony McCoy on the favourite before moving late to push on and win by nine lengths.
Kauto Star displayed many attributes in this first race that would have been immensely impressive for any five-year-old horse at the time. It was clear from the performance that the horse has the potential to become one of the all time greats in National Hunt racing.
Kauto Star's Statistics
Kauto Star's statistics are some of the most impressive figures for any horse that has ever been entered in jump racing. Kauto Star has been entered in a grand total of 26 races with 17 wins, five second places and a third place finish.
Kauto Star's statistics are made even more remarkable by the fact the horse did not finish any lower than second in a race between December 2004 and January 2011. This shows remarkable consistency over an extended period of time.
The Strengths of Kauto Star
The strengths of Kauto Star are numerous and have been analysed to the smallest degrees of detail by rival trainers looking to beat this Nicholls ace. The strengths of Kauto Star are now fronted by experience more than anything else.
Kauto Star has run, on more than one occasion, round some of the biggest, noisiest and mist intimidating racecourses in the United Kingdom. Ruby Walsh has been the stable jockey for the horse with the likes of Tony McCoy and Mick Fitzgerald stepping in when needed.
The reason experience eclipses other strengths of Kauto Star is because any jockey can jump on the horse and the rest comes naturally. Kauto Star runs in a certain way and needs very little work.
Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup
Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup has been a very interesting and exciting story because the horse has won the Gold Cup two times in the past. The first win in 2007 was a tight affair as Kauto Star stayed on to beat Exotic Dancer by two lengths.
The second win from Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup came in 2009 when Walsh led the horse to a staggering 13 length victory. This win is by far and away the most famous in the career of Kauto Star because it came in such an emphatic fashion.