? Outstanding chaser defeats favourite Long Run
? Superb round of jumping seals popular victory
Record-breaking, history-making, breathtaking. Kauto Star produced one of the most memorable performances in the history of jumps racing to win the William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.
The 11-year-old, whose powers had appeared to be on the wane when comprehensively beaten in the same race 12 months ago, bounced back to his best to defeat the reigning champion, Long Run, by a length and a quarter, with 17 lengths back to third-placed Captain Chris. In victory, Kauto Star was surpassing Desert Orchid as the most successful horse in the history of the race.
Ruby Walsh sent the 3-1 chance to the front as they passed the winning post with a circuit to go and the pair were never headed again after a display of jumping that belied the fact he will turn 12 in a matter of days.
It was to see Kauto Star that so many of the 22,000 crowd had made their way to Kempton and they celebrated victory with rapture. He was cheered before the race, cheered during it and roared home at the end.
With almost a mile still to run, Sam Waley-Cohen had started pushing and shoving away at the favourite Long Run as Ruby Walsh gradually asked Kauto Star to increase his advantage.
At the three fences in the home straight, he extended his advantage at each obstacle with a slicker leap than his pursuer and although Long Run was steadily closing in on the run-in he never looked likely to catch the winner.
"For a horse who is 11 to come here and run in the race for the sixth time and win it for the fifth is amazing," said the winning trainer, Paul Nicholls, who had dropped his mobile phone in the excitement of the finish. "If he'd shown any sign that he wasn't as good as ever then we'd have retired him but he's just been so good this autumn and he worked so well on Saturday. If he gets to Cheltenham in that form he'll be the one to beat [in the Gold Cup]."
"It's unbelievable, I'm so proud of him," said his owner, Clive Smith. "He's such a magnificent animal. He's just got such a heart ? a heart to win anything."
Nicky Henderson, trainer of Long Run, was keeping a brave face on the defeat and looking forward to a rematch in March's Gold Cup. "It's two-two between them and the decider will be played out in the Cotswolds in March," he said.
William Hill cut Kauto Star to 9-2 from 10-1 to claim a third Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Long Run eased to 3-1 from 5-2.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/dec/26/kauto-star-wins-fifth-king-george-vi-chase
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