From today's RP site http://www.racingpost.com/news/hors...ng/1136071/top/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews
The beauty of horse racing is that, just as one star retires, another one comes along to light up the world. I find this particulary true in the National Hunt sphere. I'd like to see him in the King George again but if they don't run him again, then fair play to them and I'll wish him a happy retirement.
I think is the decision is left to the owner then Kauto will have run his last race. Clive clearly loves the horse and wouldn't want any harm to come to the horse, Nicholls reduced enthusiasm for the horse running would change the format of discussions that's for sure. I was hoping they'd get him fit for one more King George attempt then retire him...
For me personally, I don't think there is anything left to achieve. The 3rd Gold Cup is the only thing they might think is eluding him now that he is the outright King of all King George winners, but sometimes you have to accept it is time to finish. The Gold Cup this season, against some serious young stayers, doesn't stand out as the sort of race for him. For him to bounce back, at that age, last year and win a Betfair Chase and a King George in such magnificent style was beyond my wildest dreams. I could not envisage it especially after his and Denmans heroic defeats in the 2011 Gold Cup. You got the impression then that their time at the top had come. They have to remember how exceptionally lucky they have been and even the racing public aren't owed a penny more. Clive and Paul have never ducked bugger all with him (or Denman for that matter) and the last thing anyone needs is to see a horse slightly past its best getting hurt after giving us all so much joy. For me, unless they honestly believe he looks like a horse who could deliver faultless Gold Cup run, I would say thankyou very much and I would parade him at Kempton on Boxing Day to celebrate a wonderful career.
At the risk of sounding like a grouch, I hope they delay any announcements until at least the middle of next week. Champions Day and Frankel lost out to the whip announcement last year, lets hope something similar doesn't happen this year.
Toppy, I don't think another Gold Cup was ever on the agenda, everyone knows he's a stone worse round Cheltenham and only his class got him a pair of Gold Cups. I can't help think that just 2 runs ago he was winning a King George and 3 runs ago he was anhialating a decent Betfair field by 10 lengths, he went into the Gold Cup with the best form of them all and only his horror fall prevented him from being a short price favourite and who knows that fall may well have prevented him from having any realistic chance at Cheltenham. Something must have changed recently because Nicholls was saying just 2/3 months ago that the horse came back from his break looking a picture and ready to go....
Since a lot of NH fans are preparing to buy advanced tickets in the hope that Kauto runs,and the joy of seeing him again,I think a quick decision is only fair. Surely the greatest horse of all time can make his own headlines?
I can't really understand why he wasn't retired after the Gold Cup last season. he has won his 5 King George's. He has nothing left to prove.
I see that Mr Nicholls has said that Kauto is ‘not as keen as he was’ and therefore surely they will retire the old boy. Totally, agree that he has nothing left to prove and after this recent statement for me there is now only one option open to connections. To run him again would be in the pursuit of more money and nothing else. Let’s not have any illusions about that. Don't risk Kauto's health and wellbeing on nothing more than the desire to achieve one final payday.
