Down Royal Champion Chase Legendary Winners: Kauto Star Kauto Star is widely acclaimed as the best jumps horse of this century so far, a dual winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup and record-breaking five-time King George VI Chase hero at Kempton. Trained by Paul Nicholls during a true golden era for his Ditcheat yard, Kauto Star was a superstar of the National Hunt game, adept at trips from two miles to three-and-a-quarter miles, and his legacy in the sport is a lasting one. Nicholls wasn't afraid to mix things up in the career of King Kauto and, after first winning Down Royal's Grade 1 Champion Chase with Taranis in 2007, the top handler twice brought his star staying chaser to the track on the outskirts of Belfast for this big November showpiece as a launchpad for the season ahead in late 2008 and 2010. Kauto a surprise visitor in 2008 Kauto Star was already jump racing royalty in the autumn of 2008 and it was a major talking point when Nicholls decided to head to Ireland for his seasonal reappearance. The French-bred gelding was the supreme star in 2006/07, winning the Betfair bonus for landing the Triple Crown of Betfair Chase, King George and Cheltenham Gold Cup and ending the season as the champion over all distances. In 2008, he was floored by stablemate Denman in the Gold Cup and then blundered away the Aintree Bowl after a late mistake allowed Our Vic to pick his pocket. So it was to Down Royal for what was then the JNwine.com Champion Chase with Ruby Walsh on board and home hopes led by The Listener. Kauto Star toyed with his four rivals and wasn't out of second gear in a facile win. Three weeks later, he unseated at Haydock with the Betfair Chase at his mercy, but glory followed in the King George and in March 2009, he reversed the Gold Cup placings emphatically with Denman, making history as the first horse to win the Blue Riband, lose it, and then regain it. No horse has done it since. Sizing up a second Down Royal win In the 2009/10 season, Kauto skipped Down Royal and won the Betfair Chase and King George — romping home at Kempton on Boxing Day — before going straight to Cheltenham. Walsh had not yet played his cards when Kauto fell four fences from home, as Imperial Commander this time left Denman to settle for a silver medal. So it was to Down Royal again in the winter of 2010 and Kauto Star was odds-on 4/7 favourite as he and Walsh faced six rivals. Chief amongst them was former Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe for Henry de Bromhead, but Kauto had his measure and came home four lengths to the good for his second Down Royal Champion Chase win. Fitting final chapter for King Kauto That same season, he relinquished the King George to Nicky Henderson's Long Run and the same young horse won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, with Denman edging Kauto Star for the podium places. Kauto Star was pulled up at Punchestown, Walsh reporting he was never travelling in the race. It appeared most likely he'd be retired, but Nicholls had other ideas. In November 2011, Kauto Star returned and rolled back the years to defeat Long Run in the Betfair Chase. He repeated the dose to win a record fifth King George on Boxing Day, bringing down the house at Kempton and would be retired after Walsh pulled him up just before halfway in the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup. His name is revered at Down Royal, where he won so well on both visits, and, to this day, he remains the classiest winner of the first major Grade 1 staying chase of the season in Britain or Ireland. ​
