KAUTO STAR’S bid to land a third Cheltenham Gold Cup could begin at Haydock Park next month.
Paul Nicholls’s star chaser became the first horse in history to regain his Gold Cup crown in March, and the Ditcheat handler is plotting a course back to Prestbury Park.
Nicholls could have up to four horses with big chances of landing him a fourth Gold Cup crown in a row at next year’s Festival, but the big two of Kauto Star and Denman are set to go separate ways until they meet again at Cheltenham.
Kauto Star, who is a best-priced 2-1 with Sportingbet to win a third Gold Cup, could begin his campaign at either Down Royal or in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 21.
Kauto Star won the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal on his seasonal reappearance last season before unseating at the final fence in the Betfair Chase – a race he had won the previous two seasons.
The nine-year-old is doing fine as he builds up to the new season, but Nicholls stressed he will run either in Ireland or on Merseyside, not both as he did 12 months ago.
The champion trainer said: “He is in good form and put in his best-ever career performance in last year’s Gold Cup. He is doing everything right and will start off at either Down Royal or Haydock. I have no real preference, but he won’t be doing both this year as Haydock came too soon after Down Royal last year.
“The King George will be Kauto’s second race this season, and it would be nice to think that he can be the first horse to win the King George four times on the trot.
“He will then go straight to the Gold Cup. A lot can happen between now and then, but he is still the one to beat and I think he is as good as ever.”
Meanwhile Denman could also run at Haydock, although Nicholls is keen to keep his two stars apart for most of the season.
The nine-year-old finished an excellent second to stable-mate Kauto Star in the Gold Cup despite heart problems earlier in the season.
The 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero is set for a racecourse gallop at Exeter on November 10 before trying to regain his Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup crown.
The Betfair Chase is an option, but connections are looking to Newbury and a bid to land the Hennessy, which Denman won off top weight two years ago, on November 28.
Nicholls said: “He looks amazing compared to this time last year after he had his heart problem.
“His heart has been tested and is 100% normal, and I think he is as he was before winning the Gold Cup two years ago. I will give him a racecourse gallop at Exeter on November 10, when he will open a bar named after him, and the Hennessy is favourite for his first race of the season. The Betfair Chase at Haydock is there as a back up, and I suspect that he will travel to Ireland again over Christmas.”
TODAY’S NAP: Ocean Blaze (4.30pm York).
