Kauto will return to week following scare

Feb 19 2008 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

FOLLOWING his injury totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Kauto Star will be back in light training tomorrow.

Paul Nicholls’s Gold Cup hero suffered a slight foot infection after his victory in the Commercial First Ascot Chase on Saturday.

But after the trainer isolated an infection in his off-hand foot, the eight-year-old was said to be on the mend. His handler is looking forward to his star chaser returning to work tomorrow.

He said: “He’s fine. I took him out for a pick of grass last night and he was virtually sound.

“The problem seems to be well over and we’re hoping he’ll walk for a couple of days and canter on Wednesday morning, which is what he’d have been doing normally without the injury.

“We have lots of nice horses to run (at Cheltenham) and you obviously don’t want the hiccups that we had on Saturday evening.

“We just have to try and eliminate those and make sure everything goes right up until the days that they run.”

Kauto Star has been eased slightly in the betting for the Gold Cup with totesport, Stan James, BetFred and BetDirect among those offering 5-4 about his chances of back-t0-back victories in the 3m2½f Festival feature. His stablemate and market rival Denman is now 13-8 with VCbet and Nicholls said the eight-year-old is well as he prepares for the Gold Cup.

Nicholls said: “He’s fine and he had a quiet week after he won at Newbury. He starts back into full work this morning and he’s in fine shape.”

While Nicholls is loyal to Kauto Star as he has already proved his credentials in the Gold Cup, both horses will head to Cheltenham on equal terms.

The champion trainer said: “They’re both obviously good horses. It’s going to be a very interesting race and hopefully very good for racing. There is a bit of a balance towards Kauto, just from the fact that he’s the reigning champ.

“But both horses are from a professional team, will turn up there on the day in the best of health, and both will run 100% on their merits.

“They both get the best of everything. Clifford (Baker, head lad) sometimes rides both horses out and we’re just trying to achieve the best for both horses.”

As well as his star duo Nicholls also has Gungadu, Star De Mohaison, Turko and Neptune Collonges among the 34 entries for in the March 14 contest.

Gungadu, a winner at Sandown on his last run, is likely to be in action again this weekend as he was among the entries for the Grade Three Racing Post Chase.

He is the 5-1 favourite with Ladbrokes, totesport, bet365 and BetFred for the three-mile contest.

Meanwhile despite being brought down in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock on Saturday, Philson Run was said to be fine and on course for his second attempt at the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree.

Nick Williams’s 12-year-old, who was fourth in last season’s National, was will head straight to Aintree.

He was none the worse for wear after he went over following Sixo’s fatal fall five from home on Saturday.

Philson Run is 33-1 with most firms for the National and Williams said: “He’s not too bad. It looked nasty at the time but surprisingly enough he seems to have come through. I wouldn’t say he was going brilliantly well at the time, but he was going reasonably.

“He’ll go straight to the Grand National, definitely no prep races. We’ll give it another go.”

TODAY’S NAP: East Coast Girl (2.40pm Southwell).