King George VI Chase Betting: Kauto is mad fresh and ready but Nightingale can surprise

Weekend Runners / Paul Nicholls / 14 January 2011 / 5

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AP and Kauto are reunited on Saturday

"I just want Kauto Star to do it for himself first and foremost, and owner Clive Smith."

Paul Nicholls and Kauto Star know how to win a King George and the pair are odds-on to do so again on Saturday. Read Paul's thoughts on a potential history-making fifth King George triumph here

What more can you say about Kauto Star that hasn't already been said about 1,000 times?!

Clifford reports that he feels as good as ever in his work, and he was electric, and mad fresh and well, when doing his last bit of schooling on Wednesday.

We saw what can happen in last year's Gold Cup but we were very happy with him on his reappearance at Down Royal, and we are all set for tomorrow.

It does make me laugh when people try and make out that Tony McCoy riding him is a possible negative though, and the simple fact is that he goes into the race in A1 form and with 26lb in hand of all his rivals according to Timeform.

And the fact that the ground is likely to be soft, though perhaps not as soft as many feared earlier in the week, also plays into his hands, rather than many of his rivals.

A lot of people have asked whether it will be my finest training achievement if he wins his fifth consecutive King George, but I look at it another way.

It will be great for the horse, not me.

Yes, getting any horse to run in the same race on five consecutive years takes some doing. But See More Business would have run in six consecutive Gold Cups were it not for Foot And Mouth.

I just want Kauto Star to do it for himself first and foremost, and owner Clive Smith.

If he doesn't win, then I think I may just have the second best chance in the race with The Nightingale.

He showed what a progressive horse he was when winning by 11 lengths on his reappearance at Down Royal and the runner-up there, Roberto Goldback, franked the form with a close third in the John Durkan. After the race, the handicapper gave him a mark of 167, and that makes him the officially joint third highest rated horse in this, after Kauto Star (190) and Albertas Run (168).

Before the Boxing Day meeting was called off, I said he was very much overpriced at 33-1. And now he is around a 10-1 chance, so plenty of the value has clearly disappeared.

But the softer ground now has really improved his chances and lessened those of the others. If Kauto wasn't in the race, I would be extremely bullish about him. He will love the ground and going right-handed, and he won the Pendil at the track last February.

The only concern is that he is trying 3m for the first time. But I think he is ready for the trip and could even benefit from it. He is by Big Buck's sire Cadoudal, and Cadoudals tend to stay very well.

Looking at the opposition increases my confidence in The Nightingale going well.

Albertas Run took a heavy fall last time, and may not like the ground; Long Run got beat off a 32lb lower mark than Kauto Star's at Cheltenham, though soft ground shouldn't hinder him and he won the Feltham around here; Madison du Berlais appears to be not what he was; Planet Of Sound is a horse I really like but ideally wants decent ground; and Riverside Theatre's defeat of Free World was hardly franked at the weekend and the ground is apparently an issue for him, but is unexposed like The Nightingale; it was pretty fast ground when Nacarat beat the Tother One at Wetherby and, while I respect him, his limitations in this company were possibly exposed at Haydock last time; and Forpadydeplaster looks to have been crying out for this trip but his Cheltenham second hasn't worked out.

So we go into the race confident Kauto Star is well, and full of hope and expectation.

We have done all we can.

History can take care of itself.

Read Paul's three best chances here

View our exclusive Kauto Star video below!

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Dave lawlor | 14 January 2011

Best of luck with all your runners tomorrow Paul but especially Kauto Star. My favourite horse of all time. As you said, i hope he can do it for himself and Clive, a true gentleman. I'll have a lump in my throat watching him jump around. He's all ready done enough to merrit being talked in the same breath as Arkle and Desirt Orchid. Tomorrow would be a bous. Best of luck from all in Ireland.
Katie Doe | 14 January 2011

I, like hundreds of other people am going to be glued to the t.v screen with my fingers crossed tomorrow watching the King George race. Wishing Kauto the best of luck and to Paul A.P and the team !!!
Anonymous | 14 January 2011

We'll be up early tomorrow for the journey up from Somerset. I'm not sure I'll ever see anything like last year's King George win again in my lifetime. Whatever happens tomorrow, history has already been made. We wish you the very best of luck and a safe trip.
Dave Mills | 15 January 2011

Good Luck to Kauto today. I've loved the horse ever since Ruby remonted Kauto and just got beat by a whisker. I've followed him every time after that and had some wonderful moments when watching him. None more so than his first Gold Cup I had £80 on him at 11/8 which was a lot of money to me at the time but I knew he wouldn't let me down and he duly obliged. COME ON KAUTO YOU CAN DO IT.Also hope the Nightingale runs a good race as i've also followed him since he won on his hurdling debut at Wincanton.
Ed | 16 January 2011

Well done to Long Run, he looks to be some horse. But Kauto not his usual self, looked a bit stiff in the pre parade ring and seemed to lose his action behind on the second circuit esp.(particularly on the bends)