Kauto Star to be honoured with Triple Crown trophy
A special trophy has been commissioned in honour of Kauto Star to mark a decade since he won The Jockey Club Chase Triple Crown.
Kauto Star was the first — and so far only — horse to have taken the title, which consists of winning the Grade 1 Betfair Chase, 32 Red King George VI Chase and the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.
This season (2016/17) marks 10 years since the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding, ridden to victory in all three by Ruby Walsh, made history.
“He was a wonderful horse and it’ll take a fair horse to do it again,” said Ruby.
“To win those three races, it’s very difficult. I think Kauto had a lot of things that other racehorses have but he had them all together.
“He had pace, he had stamina, he could jump, he had longevity, he had a great temperament; he just had the whole package. He was simply the best.”
Should a horse win the title this season, his connections will take home the specially-commissioned Kauto Star trophy, plus a £1 million bonus split between the owner (£650,000), trainer (£150,000), jockey (£100,000) and stable staff (£100,000).
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The winning owner will be allowed to keep the trophy forever and will be asked for their permission to name a future bespoke trophy after their own winning horse.
Paul added that it is “fitting” The Jockey Club has commissioned the trophy in Kauto Star’s name.
“A horse has to have very special qualities to win the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the same season,” he said.
“The year Kauto won the Chase Triple Crown, we all realised what a superstar horse we had on our hands.”
Related articles:
- Kauto Star to rest under his statue at Kempton Park
- £1m racing bonus offered in Kauto Star’s memory
- Kauto Star: Paul Nicholls remembers his greatest moments
The first leg in the Triple Crown series is the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday (18 November).
Runners confirmed so far include last year’s Betfair Chase and King George IV winner Cue Card, 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Coneygree, and two-time Betfair Chase winner Silviniaco Conti.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.