Paul Nicholls says it will take a “momentous” performance to beat Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month. The Ditcheat stable star became the first horse to reclaim the Gold Cup last March and Paul Nicholls reported to around 100 members of the media at his Cheltenham open day that the four-times King George winner is ready for the showdown with his stablemate Denman.
“Kauto Star is well and looks fantastic in his coat,” said the champion trainer. As last year, he hasn’t ran since the King George and will go to Cheltenham fresh and well. He improved enormously from his first run at Haydock to the King George and you don’t want them at their best in their trials. He is the best he has ever been and if he turns up at Cheltenham at the top of his game, then it will be a momentous performance by anything to beat him, be that Denman or whoever.”
Ruby Walsh will stay loyal to Kauto Star, with Tony McCoy aboard Denman again, Sam Thomas partnering Tricky Trickster and Barry Geraghty mentioned as a possible for My Will or Taranis. Nicholls added:
“My Will has been out of form a little but all his best performances have come on good ground and he has been running on soft. The Grand National has been his target all season and he will run in the Gold Cup on his way to Aintree. I was particularly pleased with Taranis’ win in the Pillar as when they have had leg trouble, they are hard to get fit. If he runs like that in the Gold Cup then he has a definite chance of being placed.”
Tricky Trickster made the most of Denman’s Aon mishap to steal the race, and Nicholls added: “With the weather, we hadn’t been able to school him over fences so there will be improvement to come from Newbury. Sam will ride and I think he will run a big race. He could be a dark horse for the Gold Cup.”
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