Kauto Star has been confirmed as an intended runner in the Grade One Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup on Wednesday May 4.

The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner who finished third behind Long Run in the Festival showpiece on his most recent start will be bidding for a 15th career Grade One success.

Owner Clive Smith revealed "Kauto Star is very much on course for Punchestown. He is certainly full of beans at the moment and as good as he can be at 11 years of age. I think that he just suffered a bit from old age at Cheltenham and he would have been a good match for Long Run if he was four years younger.

"He came out of that run in very good order and we decided to miss the Sandown Gold Cup because the ground would have been very firm and we were glad that we didn't risk him there. Hopefully the ground at Punchestown will be watered well and he can run another good race.

"I don't think that the performance of Master Minded at Aintree will affect where we go with Kauto Star in the future. We will take it race by race with Kauto Star, obviously starting with Punchestown.

"If he comes out of next week's race well, comes back after a good summer and feels good on the gallops, then we will go on with him. He will be retired anytime that we feel that he has had enough.

"Somebody suggested that he would be retired if he ran a bad race but it is more a question of whether he is feeling up to it or not - if he is not enjoying it, then he will be retired.

"He is still enjoying the training and sometimes you can do more damage to a horse by retiring them because they miss the daily routine. Clifford Baker rides Kauto Star everyday and he feels very good about him." said Smith.

Kempes and Nacarat could be amongst the opposition at Punchestown in what promises to be a strong renewal of the contest.

Colin Tizzard is also intending to send Third Intention for Punchestown to contest the Grade 1 AES Champion Four Year Old Hurdle which takes place on Saturday May 7 following a comprehensive victory at Cheltenham earlier this month.

Tizzard said "The plan is for Third Intention to head over to Punchestown. He didn't have a hard race on his latest start at Cheltenham and we feel that he is an improving horse, so this looked the obvious race to go for.

"We would have been disappointed if he had been beaten at Cheltenham but we were very pleased with the way he won. He has had some hard tasks throughout the spring and it was nice for him to have an easier race.

"He ran keenly early on in the season but I think it was just a question of exuberance and I don't think that him pulling will be a problem for him again. It was just his youthfulness and he is a more complete racehorse now. He's a good jumper and he enjoys quick ground."