The Gold Cup

The Gold Cup at Cheltenham is now firmly on the horizon and it is questionable why Paul Nicholls’ record-breaker Kauto Star is still second favourite with the bookies behind Long Run for the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March after Boxing Day’s King George when he ran an absolute stormer resulting in a fairy tale ending with Kauto Star winning his fifth victory in a race that he also secured in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

However, it does bear logic to think that the placings may be reversed in the Gold Cup next March especially with Long Run aged 6 and Kauto Star aged 11.

Long Run’s trainer Nicky Henderson said in the aftermath of Boxing Day’s epic: “We have improved seven lengths from Haydock and we’ve now got to find another one… but we’ve got three months to do that.”

However, the general consensus was that Long Run would beat Kauto in both of their meetings this term and it is impossible to be confident as to the outcome at The National Hunt Festival at Cheltenham in March.

The most popular horse in training has simply continued to defy the doubters and even logic in the second half of this season and who’s to say he won’t do so again in the spring.

Even Ruby Walsh, Kauto Star’s jockey has been fooled. He was quoted as saying last week that under no circumstances did he feel Kauto could beat Long Run in this year’s King George.

Long Run’s Gold Cup supporters might argue that on Boxing Day the Henderson runner was not at his absolute peak but it’s a fair bet he was with the race carrying one of the most lucrative prizes in the National Hunt calendar.

The likelihood is that Kauto simply beat him fair and square with Henderson admitting afterwards: “there are no excuses.”

Tickets and hospitality packages for The Gold Cup are still available.

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