Kauto Star in ‘top condition’ after winning his third Betfair Chase
Crowd favourite Kauto Star was back in winning form at the weekend taking the Betfair Chase on his first run since his Cheltenham Gold Cup win in March.
The Clive Smith-owned National Hunt horse beat Imperial Commander, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies by a just a nose in a thrilling finish in Saturday’s (21 November) feature race at Haydock racecourse.
Yesterday (Sunday 22 November) Kauto Star was reported to be in top condition after winning the race for the third time.
His trainer Paul Nicholls told media the horse is “bright as a button”, “in A1 condition” and “absolutely fine, sharp and well”.
Kauto Star now heads to the King George VI Chase at Kempton where connections hope he will become the first horse to win the race four times in a row.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.