Kauto Star (19 March 2000 – 29 June 2015) was a French-bred National Hunt champion thoroughbred racehorse trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset and owned by Clive Smith. He was known for his versatility and longevity, being the only horse ever to be top rated over 2 miles, 2.5 miles and 3 miles in the same season. He is also the first horse ever to win a Grade 1 race in six consecutive seasons, which he extended to seven. His Racing Post rating of 192 is the highest ever awarded to a National Hunt horse since those ratings began in 1987. He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, becoming the first horse to regain the cup. In 2009, he beat Denman by thirteen lengths, after losing to the same horse by seven lengths the previous year. Kauto Star tried for three more years to win the race again, but the best placing he could achieve was third in 2011. He also won the King George VI Chase a record five times. Kauto Star was one of the most successful steeplechasers of any era: he finished his career with a National Hunt record of £3,775,883 in earnings, £2,375,883 of which was winner's prize money, a £1,000,000 bonus for the completion of the 2006/2007 Stayers Chase Triple Crown and a £400,000 reward for heading the BHA Table of Merit in the 2006/2007 season.
Breeding Kauto Star was foaled on 19 March 2000 and was bred by Mrs Henri Aubert. His sire was the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Village Star and his dam was Kauto Relka, who was a daughter of Port Etienne. Kauto Star is a half-brother to Kauto Stone, second in the 2011 Tingle Creek Chase, and Kauto Grand Mogol, who made his debut in 2012.
Racing career
Early career Kauto Star was initially trained in France by Serge Foucher at Senoble in the Mayenne region. He made his debut in a hurdles race at Bordeaux Le Bouscat Racecourse in France in March 2003, where he finished second. He started in two more hurdles races that season and won both. During the 2003/04 season, he raced over hurdles at Auteuil seven times and won twice. His last race of the season was the grade 3 Prix de Longchamp, which he won by 8 lengths. In France, he became known as 'L'Extraterrestre' (which translates to 'The Extraterrestrial')
Kauto Star first came to the attention of Paul Nicholls when he saw a video of him in action at Auteuil. Nicholls then sought to arrange a purchase through his bloodstock agent in France, Anthony Bromley. Nicholls arranged an owner in the shape of Clive Smith, who was looking to purchase a horse and had recently had a 500,000 guineas offer for another horse (Garde Champetre) outbid by J. P. McManus. He used 400,000 euro to purchase Kauto Star from his French owners.
Kauto Star moved to England for the 2004/05 season, and his first start of the season came in a class 3 novice chase race at Newbury, which he won easily by 9 lengths from Foreman, who went on to win the Maghull Novices' Chase the following season. His next start came in a class 3 novices' chase at Exeter. He started the 2/11 favourite in a field of three horses. Kauto Star took the lead after the eighth fence. He fell at the second to last fence when he had a 12 length lead. He was passed by Mistral De La Cour, but Kauto Star's jockey Ruby Walsh then re-mounted without his stirrups and chased the leader. He then hit the last fence, but still rapidly closed in on the finishing straight and lost out to Mistral De La Cour by a short-head. After the race, it was discovered that Kauto Star had sustained a fractured hock in the race, which ruled him out of the Cheltenham Festival and the rest of the season.
2005/06 season Kauto Star started the 2005/06 season in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, where he finished in second place, four lengths behind Monkerhostin. He then started the 5/2 joint favourite for the Tingle Creek Chase. The previous season's Maghull Novices' Chase winner, Ashley Brook, was also at 5/2 and his Exeter conqueror, Monkerhostin, was at 9/2. Kauto Star went into the lead with three fences still to jump and held off Ashley Brook by lengths. After this victory, he was sent off as the 2/1 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in a field that included Moscow Flyer. Kauto Star fell at the third fence, and Newmill won the race.
2006/07 season Kauto Star started the 2006/07 season by easily winning the Old Roan Chase by 21 lengths from Armaturk. He next ran in the Betfair Chase, his first race over three miles. He took the lead at the last fence and drew clear to win by 17 lengths from multiple Grade 1 winner Beef Or Salmon. Two weeks later, he returned to racing over two miles in the Tingle Creek Chase. After taking the lead with three fences left to jump, he again pulled clear to easily win by 7 lengths from Voy Por Ustedes. On Boxing Day he lined up as the 8/13 favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. He was positioned near the front by Ruby Walsh and took the lead with three fences to jump. After drawing clear, he hit the final fence but still won by 8 lengths from Exotic Dancer. Kauto Star then won the Aon Chase over L'Ami by a neck.
His final race of the season came in the 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, where, ridden by Ruby Walsh, he started the 5/4 favourite. Kingscliff and Beef Or Salmon led in the early stages of the race, with Kauto Star held up near the rear. He made progress through the field and was near the leaders with four fences left to jump. Walsh then asked him for an effort and he quickened to take the lead two fences from the finish. He hit the final fence, but stayed on strongly to beat Exotic Dancer by lengths, with outsider Turpin Green another lengths back in third place. By winning the Betfair Chase, King George and Gold Cup, Kauto Star won the Stayers Chase Triple Crown £1 million bonus. He also won the National Hunt Order of Merit for the 2006/07 season and finished as the top-rated chaser.
2007/08 season Kauto Star had an additional challenge to face during the 2007/08 as another of Paul Nicholls' horses, Denman, had easily won the Royal & SunAlliance Chase, the top race for novice 3 mile chasers, at the previous season's Cheltenham Festival when also ridden by Ruby Walsh. Nicholls stated his intention to keep the pair apart for the majority of the season, with the two horses not scheduled to race against each other until the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.
Early season Kauto Star again began the season in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree, where he faced three rivals: Melling Chase winner Monet's Garden, Gold Cup runner up Exotic Dancer and Ashley Brook. Before the race, Paul Nicholls warned that Kauto Star, who started the 10/11 favourite, needed the run. During the closing stages of the race, he chased leader Monet's Garden but could not catch him. Monet's Garden won by lengths from Kauto Star, who was giving him a stone in weight, with Exotic Dancer a further 20 lengths back in third. Kauto Star continued to follow the same path as last season and next started in the Betfair Chase, where he was ridden by Sam Thomas due to regular jockey Ruby Walsh being out injured with a dislocated shoulder. Despite his previous defeat, he again started as the odds-on favourite. During the race, he was pushed all the way to the finish by Exotic Dancer, but held on to win by length. The two were well clear of the rest of the seven-runner field.
Mid-winter Kauto Star then headed to Kempton Park, for the King George VI Chase. With Walsh back in the saddle, he won by 11 lengths from Ascot Chase winner Our Vic, with Exotic Dancer in third place. The horse's final preparation for the Cheltenham Gold Cup was in the Ascot Chase over 2 miles 5 furlongs. By this time, Walsh had announced his intention to ride Kauto Star in the Gold Cup, with Sam Thomas booked to ride Denman. Kauto eased to victory, winning by eight lengths from Monet's Garden. However, it was reported that Kauto Star was understood to be slightly lame after the race. Paul Nicholls revealed that his vet had examined Kauto Star that morning and that the horse appeared to have an infection in one of his hind feet.
Spring Horse racing fans were awaiting the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup clash between Kauto Star and his stablemate Denman. During the season, Denman had not been defeated, winning the Hennessy Gold Cup, Lexus Chase and Aon Chase. Kauto Star was sent off 10/11 favourite to retain his crown with Denman starting at 9/4. Denman took up the race to lead with a circuit to go and won by 7 lengths with Kauto Star finishing second, just holding off stablemate Neptune Collonges. Kauto Star narrowly lost his last race of the season to Ryanair winner Our Vic in the Totesport Bowl at Aintree. However, this second-place finish ensured he won the 2008 Order of Merit title, becoming the first and only horse to win this two seasons in succession. Kauto Star's owner, Clive Smith, put the defeat down to the horse's busy season and also the short time since the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nicholls said that the riding tactics contributed to the defeat.
2008/09 season
Early season
Kauto Star started the 2008/09 season in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal. Starting the 2/5 favourite, he took the lead with three fences to jump and won by 11 lengths from Light On The Broom without being extended. His next start came in the Betfair Chase and he was ridden by Sam Thomas, with Walsh being out injured with a ruptured spleen. Kauto Star started the 2/5 favourite and his main opposition in the betting again came from Exotic Dancer. At the final fence, he was moving up to leader Tamarinbleu when he stumbled on landing and unseated Thomas. Snoopy Loopy won the race by length from Tamarinbleu.
King George VI Chase Kauto Star returned to Kempton Park for the King George VI Chase. He started the race at 10/11 and the opposition included former Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Voy Por Ustedes, Ellier Developments Champion Novice Chase winner Air Force One, Imperial Commander, Our Vic, Snoopy Loopy and Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner Albertas Run. With Walsh back as jockey, Kauto Star took the lead with four left to jump and despite a mistake at the last, he went clear to win by 8 lengths from Albertas Run, with Voy Por Ustedes length back in third and the three being well clear of the rest of the field. This was his third consecutive victory in the race. After Kauto Star's defeat following the short break between the races at Down Royal and Haydock, Nicholls stated he had come to the conclusion that the horse was best run fresh, so unlike previous seasons he would not run again before Cheltenham where he was once again being aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as was stable companion and current holder Denman.
Cheltenham Gold Cup Kauto Star started the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup as the favourite and was attempting to become the first horse to ever regain the Gold Cup. The leaders in the betting were Kauto Star at 7/4, Denman at 7/1, Hennessy Gold Cup winner Neptune Collonges at 15/2 and Exotic Dancer at 8/1. Kauto Star tracked the leaders in the early stages and moved into the lead after jumping the third last fence. He then pulled clear before the last to win by 13 lengths from Denman. Exotic Dancer was third, lengths behind Denman. Kauto Star ended the season as the top-rated steeplechase horse for the second time.
2009/10 season
Betfair Chase Kauto Star started the 2009/10 season in the Betfair Chase. He was held up near the rear of the field by Walsh and with two fences left to jump he took the lead. As they approached the last, Imperial Commander drew level with him. The two horses battled all the way to the finishing line, with Kauto Star winning by a nose. The pair were 24 lengths clear of third-placed Madison Du Berlais. This was Kauto Star's third Betfair Chase win in a row.
King George VI Chase