Just eight horses remain in line for a tilt at Saturday’s Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock and Paul Nicholls is hoping Kauto Star can deliver an impressive performance on his seasonal reappearance. (credit: CharlesFred)
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Just eight horses remain in line for a tilt at Saturday’s Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock and Paul Nicholls is hoping Kauto Star can deliver an impressive performance on his seasonal reappearance.
The dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner will be looking to bounce back to form after his poor performance at last year’s Punchestown Festival and Nicholls is confident that he will be able to prove he is not ready to retire just yet.
Nicholls explained; "He's going to love this dry forecast for the week. He's in great shape and he does look amazing and he's been working really well.
"I've just got a feeling he'll run a really big race.
"We're looking forward to it, Clive Smith is looking forward to it and hopefully everyone else is.
"You don't tend to have Gold Cup winners hard fit for their reappearances and that gives us all hope that Long Run can be beaten, just as he was in the Paddy Power last season.
"And, although Nicky had a winner and had some horses run big races at Cheltenham, it could be that his horses are not quite at concert pitch at the moment. But Kauto Star is and he won't fail through lack of fitness."
Kauto Star will face 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run in the Merseyside showpiece and with the likes of Diamond Harry and Time For Rupert also entered in the race, it looks set to be an absolute thriller.
