Kauto Star completes historic treble.

see home page!

Kauto Star completes King George hat-trick

Stan James King George VI Chase (Grade 1) 3m, 4yo+

KAUTO STAR entered the history books after completing a fantastic King George VI Chase hat-trick at Kempton on Friday and in doing so landing a nationwide gamble.

He returned the 10-11 favourite after having been available at 6-4 in the morning and 11-10 before the race itself.


The runners were led at a demanding pace early on by the Betfair Chase one-two Snoopy Loopy and Tamarinbleu. Kauto Star and ante-post fancy Voy Por Ustedes both sat in midfield stalking the strong tempo.



As the front-runners subsided Ruby Walsh snuck Kauto Star closer to the front, tracked by Voy Por Ustedes and the improving Albertas Run under Tony McCoy.

Exiting the final turn it became a duel between Kauto Star and Albertas Run but the race was soon put beyond doubt with a spring-heeled leap at the third last from the former Gold Cup winner.

As his opponents toiled in behind, KautoStar drew effortlessly away from the field to win by eight lengths despite his customary less-than-perfect jump at the last.


Walsh said: "He's a star. It was a truly run race and he put in some good jumps and just ran away from them.

"He's a wonderful horse and you'd love to own him wouldn't you!"

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: "I wish some people would give him the respect he deserves.

"It was an error of judgement running him last time [at Haydock] and when he's running and jumping like today he's a very, very good horse."

He added: "He definitely won't run before the Gold Cup. We're going to look after him and won't run him in races in between."

Albertas Run showed his best form of the season in second at 25-1 and Voy Por Ustedes finished third at 9-2.

Coral were quick off the mark by making Kauto Star a 5-2 shot to win a fourth successive King George in 2009 and also cut him to 3-1 second favourite (from 5) for the Gold Cup behind stablemate Denman

Ladbrokes 'smashed to pieces' by Kauto Star


LADBROKES’ decision to take on Kauto Star in the King George resulted in the firm being “well and truly smashed to pieces”.

Ladbrokes were a top-priced 6-4 about Kauto Star on Friday morning, and paid a heavy price as he romped away with the Kempton showpiece, for which he was returned 10-11.

"We dared to take on Kauto Star and we have been well and truly smashed to pieces,” said Ladbrokes spokesman David Williams. “He has ruined Christmas for everyone at Ladbrokes and given punters the best belated present since the days of Desert Orchid. He has the most enormous following and he's cost us an absolute fortune."

William Hill and Coral were badly hit too, though both firms pointed out how much worse their day would have been had Punjabi won the Christmas Hurdle.

William Hill’s spokeswoman Kate Miller said: "Oh dear! The punters boxed us into a corner with an enormous gamble on Kauto Star.”



Coral spokesman David Stevens said: “It was a shocker for us. Punters heeded Paul Nicholls’ advice in the Racing Post to lump on Kauto Star at 11-8.”

The King George winner was heavily-backed on Betfair too, the exchange reported, but drifted to 4-1 in running.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said: “I’m gobsmacked he went above evens in running, let alone 4-1. Forget the horses - they should dope test the layers.”

The biggest bet recorded on course was £6,000 at evens, though there were nine four-figure bets noted in all