Long Run ready for Betfair Chase Owner Robert Waley-Cohen believes only a possible lack of race fitness will stop Long Run from making a winning return in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday. Nicky Henderson's six-year-old proudly sits at the top of the tree ahead of his seasonal return, having deposed former champion Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase and in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last season. Kauto Star is back for more this weekend and is joined by a host of other intriguing contenders who are chancing their arm against Long Run for the first time. Long Run has not been seen since his Cheltenham heroics in March, but connections are adamant he will be extremely hard to beat on Merseyside. Waley-Cohen said: "The horse is in very good shape and we just have to hope he's improved as much as I think he has, and that he's fit enough to do himself justice. "The only thing that I think will beat him is if when we get to the sharp end of the race and he's not as fully wound up as he will be by the time we get to Kempton and Cheltenham later in the season. "He's certainly physically matured a lot since the public last saw him in March. "His physical progression between then and now is impressive. Now he's a really handsome, strong horse. "Last year we were the young horse trying to prove we were up for it and this year everyone will be trying to knock our crown off. "It's a Grade One on Saturday and as good a renewal as there has been for a long time." Waley-Cohen is deeply respectful of Kauto Star's achievements, but believes age may have finally caught up with one of National Hunt racing's all-time greats. He said: "Kauto Star is the benchmark for the present generation, and indeed for many generations - he is the icon. "He's won four King Georges, two Gold Cups, two Tingle Creeks and 14 Grade One races in all. He's won 21 races in total and that is very, very impressive. "That is the benchmark we all have to aspire for, but he is getting older and the handicapper marks him down considerably below his peak. "There are certainly races to be won with him, but whether he can compete at this level, we'll find out this weekend. "I'm sure Paul Nicholls has done everything he can to make sure the horse does himself justice, but on the book he has a big gap to make up with Long Run." Trainer Henderson is not overly confident ahead of Saturday's and is looking forward to getting the horse's first run of the season out of the way. He said: "I'm not particularly looking forward to it but everybody else can! "Most of the opposition have got the benefit of having a run under their belts and this can't be described as a prep race - it's a Gold Cup trial in itself. "I don't see there being any problem with the track in that we know he goes left-handed as he won round Cheltenham and we know likes flat tracks as he goes round Kempton. "He's as near to fitness as I can get him without giving him a run and everything has gone well, but we'll just have to see." Although many believe four-time King George winner and dual Gold Cup hero Kauto Star is past his best, Henderson is certainly not leaving him out of calculations. "You're never going to write of Kauto Star - you'd be a mad man to ever write him off," said the Seven Barrows handler. "We can all go through bad patches but we can come back from them. "You couldn't write any of them off, in all honesty. If it was a two-horse race with only one of them running I wouldn't take it for granted. "I suppose Kauto Star is under a bit of pressure tomorrow and so are we. Those other little monkeys have got it all to play for!" Waley-Cohen's son, Sam, will once again be in the saddle and while respectful of the opposition, he believes each rival needs to progress markedly to match Long Run. The amateur rider said: "We hope that he's 100%, but you never quite know. "Whether he's 95% or 100% he can't tell you, so we'll find out on the day. "I think all those that ran at Wetherby still have a little bit to find. "On Kauto Star's best, and hopefully the level that Long Run is at now, they still need to improve. "They will be a big threat with a run under their belt, though. The real question is how quickly they step up. "It's become the first really big race of the season - it's no longer a warm-up - as all the Gold Cup stars are turning up." Waley-Cohen jnr believes it is not beyond the realms of possibility there could still be more improvement in Long Run. He said: "He's much calmer this year, which means you have much more versatility with what you can do. "Because he is older, and I suspect more mature, it gives you a little bit more flexibility. "I think there will still be more to come. "Whatever he does in the Betfair you would expect more from him."
