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Laura Collett has told H&H she hopes to get Kauto Star out competing this year.
“It’s been a slow process as he came straight from training but he’s almost ready,” she said.
“He’s been easy to retrain, it’s just developing muscles in different places which has taken a while. He’s strengthened up a lot physically now.
“We’re going to play it by ear, go to a few shows and see how it goes. It’s all about him enjoying himself.”
The 14-year-old, who won the King George VI Chase a record five times, paraded at Kempton before fans on Boxing Day.
“He was quite fresh when he was parading,” said Laura. “But he was fine when I was riding him up the racetrack, which was a relief as I wasn’t sure how he’d react being back there!”
And Kauto proved himself to be in rude health, throwing in a buck or two in the paddock.
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“He’s always been the people’s horse, it’s nice they still like to see him out,” added Laura.
“I think his fans like it when he does a little buck as it shows he’s feeling well and full of himself. He’s like a 4-year-old in his mind still.”
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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.