Kauto Star – time to be wary

By Ian Carnaby

The relationship between famous sports people and the press is always interesting. From mega-rich footballers who proffer a dismissive grunt when asked for a harmless quote, to the Olympians who find nothing too much trouble, we learn something every day.

Interviewers have their own problems, of course. Building up a relationship where the star in question recognises you and is likely to say ‘yes’ is only any use to the newspaper, television or radio station you happen to be working for if the answers tell people something they didn’t know. Over the years, things have changed markedly. I am old enough now (60) to remember when Sports Report on BBC Radio relied on its own reporters and the only nod in the direction of extra entertainment, for want of a better word, came from a well-known Fleet Street figure - J L Manning, Ken Jones - who supplied his own interpretation of the week’s events.

Now, of course, we are told that we shall be hearing from Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp, Frank Lampard, etc. at half-time in the Saturday evening game being covered live. The interview has taken over and no one wishing to report a football match will get very far unless he has the chutzpah to go down to the dressing rooms or button-hole celebrities and persuade them to say a few words into the machine or in front of the camera.

Sometimes, reporters stray into areas which might be better left alone, at least for the time being. I thought about this when Paul Nicholls was asked whether Kauto Star might have deteriorated to a degree following his mishap in the Betfair Chase at Haydock. Nicholls handles the media extremely well and his Saturday morning column is always informative. He wants to help, and that is refreshing.

But even Nicholls has to keep other parties happy as well and that means humouring owners when setbacks occur. He was irritated by the Kauto Star question and found it ridiculous, pointing out that his former Gold Cup winner had worked hard to beat Exotic Dancer in the Betfair a year ago before winning the King George in style.

Unfortunately, that does not make the question ridiculous. Whether Kauto Star would have beaten Snoopy Loopy but for slithering to the ground after the last fence is open to question but wholly irrelevant where this particular argument is concerned. The fact is, it would have been close, even though Snoopy Loopy was rated 22lb his inferior. Not only that, but Peter Bowen’s solid performer had been in action all summer without hinting at a level of ability which might cause problems for the big names at Haydock.

Even at his absolute peak, Kauto Star gave me the impression that he was better at three miles than three and a quarter, so it did not surprise me unduly when he failed to repeat his Gold Cup victory because Denman was perfectly placed to expose that chink in his armour. He only just held on for second and I wondered then if we had seen the best of him. The trip to Aintree, where Our Vic proved just too good in an epic finish, underlined those fears, though the race may have come too soon. We had started making excuses.

Anyway, he returned fresh this season and his supporters took heart from a bloodless victory in a five-runner affair at Down Royal, where The Listener was well below his best and Turpin Green failed to complete. Kauto Star beat a 12-year old rated 135 by eleven lengths and had little more than an exercise gallop. Because he never came under pressure, we never found out any more about him.

He should not have been 2 to 5 at Haydock

He should not have been 2 to 5 at Haydock and the bookmakers, as canny as ever, know that he should not be 6 to 4 for the King George, though they have eased him out from 4 to 5. Much of it is mind games, really. The layers know that time will go by (a safe bet), Kempton will appeal as Kauto Star’s ideal venue, the trainer will sound bullish in his column and people will persuade themselves that the Betfair was just one of those things.

They will be wrong. Kauto Star was already under pressure when making a mistake at the third last and was far from fluent at the last, even if he was unlucky to hit the deck. I have the utmost regard for Nicholls, a top trainer and a nice, genuine man who has not let success affect him at all. Maybe he will coax the horse back to his best and I shall have a large quantity of egg all across this increasingly wrinkled visage.

However, in my experience, when horses start to deteriorate the process can be rather more rapid than many people realise. On top of that, there is the aftermath of the incident itself to deal with and the fact that it is by no means the first time that Kauto Star has made potentially costly errors late in a race.

All I’m saying is that 6 to 4 is a perfectly dreadful price for the King George and I would be very careful indeed.