Kauto the tops in over 40 years

Following his retirement Timeform have hailed Kauto Star the finest steeplechaser for more than 40 years.

The remarkable 12-year-old amassed a record-breaking 16 Grade One wins during his eight seasons after joining Paul Nicholls from France, including two Cheltenham Gold Cups, four Betfair Chases at Haydock and five King George VI Chases at Kempton - the only other horse apart from Kauto Star to have won a top-level race over jumps in Britain five times is Golden Miller, who won the Gold Cup five times in a row in the 1930s.

It is another multiple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, however, who sets the standard so far as top chasers are concerned, namely Arkle. Even Kauto Star cannot match up to that level of form, but he produced a string of performances which suggest he can safely be viewed as the best since Arkle - notably his 13-length defeat of stable-companion Denman in the 2009 Gold Cup (he is the only Gold Cup winner to regain his title) and an imperious wide-margin win in the King George later that year (Arkle is the only other horse to have won that race by a distance).

Timeform jumps handicapper Phil Turner commented: "Although we're still confident Arkle was the greatest horse in National Hunt history, the fact we rate Kauto Star as the best since his era should be viewed as a huge compliment when one considers some of the names who'd previously vied for that title. Kauto Star earned a Timeform rating of 191 at his peak, which is the highest figure since our Chasers & Hurdlers series began in 1975/6.

"In addition, very few during that period could match Kauto Star in terms of consistency, versatility or longevity. He should rightly be viewed as a giant of the sport."

The latest edition of Chasers & Hurdlers sees Kauto Star regain his position as Timeform's top-rated staying chaser, a title he'd held in four of the previous five seasons, whilst it's worth remembering he was also twice Timeform's top-rated two-mile chaser earlier in his career. These achievements are all the more meritorious when one considers they've come during a period which can be viewed as a golden age of steeplechasing.

Kauto Star's essay in Chasers & Hurdlers of 2011/12 draws parallels with heavyweight boxing greats, arguing that the warmest feelings are often reserved for those champions who come back to the top after being written off by some - Kauto Star, for example, arguably wasn't so popular as Denman early in their rivalry, but he was the undoubted "people's champion" during the latest campaign when reversing 2010/11 form with Long Run to claim emotional wins in both the Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase.

The book also warns against the perils of carrying on for too long: "Alas not many of the sporting greats enjoy the type of end to a glorious career that they deserve. Muhammad Ali, for example, certainly isn't the only heavyweight boxing champion who carried on for too long - probably only Gene Tunney, Rocky Marciano and Lennox Lewis can claim to have gone out 'at the top' in the 130-year history of the heavyweight championship."

Timeform's highest-rated steeplechasers since Chasers & Hurdlers began in 1975/6: