HAVING denied Kauto Star a record-breaking fifth victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton, Long Run will try and add the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
It could be the changing of the guard at the top level of the chasing game with Nicky Henderson’s youngster showing his talent with his stunning 12-length victory under Sam Waley-Cohen over stable-mate Riverside Theatre.
Now 11, Kauto Star could only finish a further six-lengths back in third as his bid for a fifth straight success in the Grade One feature fell short.
Trainer Paul Nicholls said the dual Gold Cup hero would be back at Cheltenham in March despite the defeat, but he is again likely to face Long Run.
Mill House was the last six-year-old to win the blue riband in 1963, but the Nicky Henderson-trained French import is now just a 7-1 second favourite with William Hill and Stan James.
Although the Ryanair Chase could be seen as a possibility owner Robert Waley-Cohen is keen to try for the Gold Cup on March 18.
Waley-Cohen senior said: “I would think we would find it hard to resist going for the Gold Cup. He probably won’t run again before then.
“We probably lost a race in between because of the three-week delay otherwise he might have gone for the Aon Chase. He’d been kept on the buzz a long time and Nicky was saying on Saturday night he might calm him down for a couple of weeks and go straight to Cheltenham.
“I think he’ll stay. He didn’t seem to be running out of stamina yesterday. You need plenty of stamina to win that race because they go pretty quick and there’s no time for a breather. There’s no mercy out there.”
Despite Long Run’s only two defeats in Britian coming at Cheltenham the owner is unconcerned about his ability at Prestbury Park. He added: “He hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in two runs. It was right at the end of the season in the RSA Chase when he finished third after he’d been running in serious Grade One races since the previous May. In the Paddy Power, he was third carrying a big weight and, in fairness, Nicky’s horses weren’t winning at that time.”
Nicholls, meanwhile, is relishing the chance of Kauto Star running in the Gold Cup for a fifth successive season despite his King George defeat.
The Ditcheat trainer revealed that the Clive Smith-owned star chaser bled after the King George, but said the problem is not serious. And he will still be aimed at the Gold Cup where he is a 12-1 chance with William Hill and Stan James to regain his crown.
Nicholls said: “I can reveal that when he got back last night and stuck his head in the water bucket, Kauto bled from both nostrils.
“I have just tweeted that Kauto Star ‘did have a small bleed after the race and will go straight for the Gold Cup now’ – but I will expand on that.
“It is an honour to be associated with the horse. But I can tell you now that reports of his demise are somewhat exaggerated and there is no talk of retirement here.
“He will be prepared for a tilt at a third Gold Cup victory in March – different ground, different track, different day – and we would like to aim him for a third victory at Down Royal in the autumn, too.
“As long as he is enjoying his racing and running well, then he will continue – he is 11, not 13.
“Yesterday, was undoubtedly a big disappointment. But that clearly wasn’t his best form. I am not making excuses but I can reveal that when he got back last night and stuck his head in the water bucket, he bled from both nostrils. He has never done it before, and will probably never do it again.
“Experience of big races breeds a certain calmness and I think he was A1 going into the race, so there are no excuses on that score. So it is up to me and my team here at Ditcheat to get him right for Cheltenham; and we will relish the challenge.”
TODAY’S NAP: Rhythm Stick (3.20pm Wolverhampton).
