38 Going for Gold

KAUTO STAR AIMING FOR REVENGE OVER DENMAN IN totesport CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP

Owner Clive Smith firmly believes that Kauto Star can gain compensation over stablemate Denman in this year's totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday, March 13. The Paul Nicholls-trained pair are among 38 horses who have been entered for the #475,000 highlight of the four-day Festival at Cheltenham (Tuesday, March 10 - Friday, March 13).

After his seven-length defeat to Denman in last year's race, Kauto Star will be bidding to become the first horse to win non-consecutive renewals of the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, following his two and a half length success over Exotic Dancer in 2007. The 10-time Grade One winner will be going to Cheltenham on the back of a superb third success in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.

Smith commented: "I was ecstatic about his victory at Kempton and it was a brilliant performance. Paul has said that Kauto Star wasn't quite right in the Betfair Chase and that he probably just had an off day there. That race might have come a bit soon after Down Royal and he might not have enjoyed the dead ground, but he certainly came back to form on his latest start.

"Paul and I decided that he will now go straight to The Festival. He rattled up six victories when he took the totesport Gold Cup in 2007 but he's got a few more miles on the clock now and he possibly likes to put in a performance a bit less frequently these days.

"We have to make sure that he is spot on for Cheltenham and keeping him fresh for March seems the best way forward. We could have run him in the Grade One Chase at Ascot in mid-February like last year, but that would only leave a four-week gap.

"He also had a foot problem between Ascot and Cheltenham last season and we just want to make sure that if there are any problems between now and The Festival that we give him every chance of lining up in the totesport Gold Cup.

"If we get the right going, then I think we have every chance of beating Denman. I like to think of it as home and away - it was like a home fixture for Denman last season because he got his favoured ground while Kauto Star couldn't get going in it. That's not to take anything from Denman because I thought he was superb."

Besides Kauto Star and Denman, the champion trainer also has last year's third home, dual Grade One scorer Neptune Collognes, 2006 RSA Chase winner Star De Mohaison and the unexposed Big Buck's among his eight entries as he bids for a fourth Cheltenham Gold Cup.

After gaining a deserved first Grade One victory in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in December, Exotic Dancer may bid for victory in a race in which he has finished second and fifth in the past two seasons, while other Grade One winners Air Force One, The Listener and Snoopy Loopy could also try to prevent another year of Nicholls domination.

David Pipe has given an entry to last season's Ryanair Chase winner Our Vic, who followed up his Cheltenham victory with a nose defeat of Kauto Star in a Grade Two contest at Aintree in April. The master of Pond House also has among his six entries the exciting Or Noir de Somoza, a winner at the highest level over both fences and hurdles in his native France.

Several top second-season chasers have also been entered, headed by Tidal Bay, successful in last season's The Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase, and 2008 RSA Chase victor Albertas Run, who was second to Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase. Barbers Shop could be a first runner in the totesport Gold Cup for The Queen and the seven-year-old may re-oppose his Paddy Power Gold Cup conqueror Imperial Commander.

The strong Irish challenge of eight includes 2006 totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition, last year's Grand National third Snowy Morning, from the yard of Willie Mullins and Notre Pere, this season's Welsh Grand National winner from the stable of Jim Dreaper who was successful with Ten Up back in 1975.