Kauto Star sets standard for Gold Cup

HE has enough ability to frighten the French as the old saying goes, and probably the British as well, but the Irish are clearly not running scared of the awesome talent that is Kauto Star.

Paul Nicholls' gelding, unbeaten in four outings this season, heads a 49-strong entry for the totesport-sponsored Cheltenham Gold Cup and while the bookmakers already rate him strong favourite to land jump racing's greatest honour on 16 March, the boys from the Emerald Isle appear quite happy to take on the jolly.

War Of Attrition, the reigning holder of the Blue Riband, is just one of a record 14 hopefuls from Ireland and he's joined by amongst others, 2005 winner Kicking King, last year's third Forget The Past, the latter's stablemate In Compliance and of course, Beef Or Salmon, without whom the Gold Cup wouldn't be complete.

Hedgehunter, runner-up in 2006, is also a possible as are a string of unplaced horses from 12 months ago, L'Ami, Take The Stand, Monkerhostin, Sir Rembrandt, Ballycassidy, Kingscliff and Ollie Magern.

Robert Alner's The Listener, who beat both War Of Attrition and Beef Or Salmon when landing Leopardstown's Lexus Chase last month, is there as well along with Paddy Power and boylesports.com Gold Cup winner Exotic Dancer plus Alan King's Halcon Genelardais, successful in the Welsh Grand National and one of yesterday's big market movers for the highlight of the Festival which this year will carry mammoth prize money of 425,000.

In addition to Kauto Star, Nicholls has entered a five-strong back-up team consisting of Cornish Rebel, Eurotrek, My Will, Neptune Collonges and Sleeping Night and while the final entry figure is down on last year's record total of 64, it does equal the previous highest number received in 2003.

"Kauto Star is one of those rare horses who has truly set the world of jump racing alight and it will be fascinating to see how he fares," said Cheltenham's managing director Edward Gillespie.

For those owners and trainers outwith the lucky 49 who now hold a Gold Cup entry, all is not lost as they can still throw their hat into the ring for the three-mile-two-and-a-half furlong contest at the supplementary stage on 10 March, for the price of 21,250.

That's considerably more than the winners of any of today's races will earn for their efforts and with Leicester's scheduled fixture washed away, Sedgefield has the jumping scene all to itself.

The card at the County Durham venue could turn out to be something of a beanfeast for tartan trainers with Willie Young (Roadworthy), Peter Monteith (Terlan), and Len Lungo (Cloudmor) all fancied to collect.

On the all-weather at Southwell, Anglo-Scot Mark Johnston can get us off to a good start in the opener with Caribbean Dancer but don't be too gung-ho in the battle with the bookies because the banker of the day goes in the next.

While some horses just can't act at Southwell, Legal Lover adores the place with four of his five career wins having been achieved at the Nottinghamshire circuit.

Reg Hollinshead's gelding returns to the scene of those former glories this afternoon and with regular pilot Russell Kennemore again in the saddle and again reducing his mount's weight by 5lbs, the partnership will be hard to peg back in the Pontin's Book Early Handicap.

At Taunton yesterday, Predateur entered calculations for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham when smoothly opening his account over jumps for Paul Nicholls in the novices' Hurdle. In slamming Gracechurch by nine lengths under Ruby Walsh, the 4-5 favourite paid a compliment to his Wincanton conqueror Liberate, although connections will swerve the Festival unless there is plenty of cut in the ground.

Predateur is 25-1 for the Triumph with William Hill and VC Bet, and 20-1 with totesport and Stan James.

Nicholls enthused: "Because this was such a valuable race [20,000] he had to run today and he'll probably end up at the meeting at Cheltenham on 27 January, where I hope we can pick up a nice juvenile prize.

"Obviously he was well treated by today's weights and against Liberate first time he was too free. The ground here is in as good a nick as you'll find anywhere in the country."