• Chaser coping well with increased workload
• Long Run reported ‘fine’ despite rumours
Paul Nicholls will allow the racing public to “make their own minds up” over Kauto Star’s prospects of lining up at next week’s Cheltenham Festival when sending the steeplechaser for a public gallop after racing at Wincanton on Friday. In a deviation from the original plan, which involved a crucial piece of work at his Ditcheat stable on Saturday, Nicholls is likely to delay a final decision over Kauto Star’s quest for a third Gold Cup victory until after a schooling session on Monday morning.
“It’s all about taking little stepping stones forward now and it wouldn’t be fair to say that any day in particular is D-day,” said the trainer, who has been pleased with the horse’s steady progress since last Thursday, when he revealed Kauto Star had been injured in a schooling fall the previous week.
“He is a thorough professional and I think that’s helping him,” Nicholls added, explaining that Kauto Star had come through his most testing workout since the fall in good condition. “We gave him two strong canters up the hill alongside my Fred Winter hopeful, Ulck Du Lin, and I have to report that he came through it fine and I’m happy with him.
“What particularly pleased me was that, aside from looking great, he came back from the work and had a good roll in his box, always a good sign with him.
“We’ll take him to Wincanton, where he will work with Mon Parrain and everybody can make their own minds up about how he works and how he looks.
“He had a racecourse gallop before he won the Betfair Chase and I thought it a better idea to give him a spin, and a good workout, on the grass away from home.
“I must stress that it is one step at a time and it is important that people don’t get carried away. We aren’t, just yet, but we are heading in the right direction. Quickly, it seems.”
On Tuesday it was the participation of the Gold Cup favourite, Long Run, which was seemingly thrown into question after peculiar betting market moves were followed by television reports hinting at problems afflicting Nicky Henderson’s charge.
The trainer, who had already described himself as a bundle of nerves with the start of the Festival inching nearer, claimed to be bemused by it all, and Long Run’s owner, Robert Waley-Cohen, offered a measured response.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with Nicky since the 1970s and if there was the slightest problem I know him well enough to expect the phone call,” he said.
“It’s a call all owners dread at this time of the year and I’m not sure it gets any easier just because I’ve been lucky enough to have been in this position before, but you just have to accept that things can go wrong.
“I can’t tell you what was going on with the betting. Maybe it’s just someone trying to do a bit of market manipulation. But I’ve spoken to Nicky and he was watching the horse work when we talked. Everything’s fine.
“They say that 24 hours is a long time in politics and it’s even longer in racing. The slightest thing can derail weeks and months of careful planning. But so far, so good for Long Run and I’m pleased that the news sounds promising for Kauto Star too.”
Waley-Cohen’s words came as the participation of another Festival favourite, the Triumph Hurdle hope Grumeti, was thrown into question after his trainer, Alan King, revealed a minor setback.
“On Monday night Grumeti spread his right fore shoe and the toeclip has gone into the foot, which left him lame and quite sore this morning,” King said. “We certainly would not have wanted this to happen next Tuesday but the Triumph is still 10 days away and I would hope that he would be sound again in 48 hours and able to exercise again at the weekend.”
