KAUTO
STAR STATUE TO BE UNVEILED ON BETFAIR CHASE DAY
Haydock Park is delighted
to announce that Kauto Star, whose retirement was announced yesterday,
will be parading at the racecourse on Betfair Chase Day, Saturday, November 24.
The Clive Smith-owned
chaser boasted a Timeform rating of 191 at his best, making him the joint-third
best chaser of all time with the respected Halifax-based organisation.
Kauto Star's record at
Haydock Park was outstanding, with four victories in the Betfair Chase (2006,
2007, 2009 and 2011). Ruby Walsh partnered him to three of those victories,
with Sam Thomas taking the mount in 2007.
Kauto Star also won the
King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on a record five occasions (2006, 2007,
2008, 2009 & 2011) and the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice (2007 & 2009).
In the 2006/07 season,
when Kauto Star landed the Betfair Chase, King George VI Chase and Cheltenham
Gold Cup, he collected the Betfair Million - a prize of £1 million offered by
Betfair to any horse that could win all three races in the same season. This
was the largest bonus ever offered in the history of Jump racing.
Haydock Park is also
thrilled to reveal that a statue of Kauto Star will be unveiled at the
racecourse on Betfair Chase Day.
Commissioned by Haydock
Park and Betfair, the half-life size study of Kauto Star was created by
renowned sculptor Will Newton, who is based in Somerset close to the yard of
Kauto Star's trainer Paul Nicholls.
John Baker, Regional Director North
West for Jockey Club Racecourses, said: "The Betfair Chase was only run
for the first time in 2005 but its establishment as the key early season target
for championship class staying chasers owes much to the record of Kauto Star in
the race.
"Haydock Park is
therefore delighted to honour Kauto Star with his own statue at the racecourse
and we look forward to welcoming him back to the scene of his four Betfair
Chase victories on November 24.
"We were honoured to
stage one of the greatest performances of Kauto Star's career in the Betfair
Chase last year, when the reception for him was truly spine-tingling.
"The Haydock crowds
and team will miss him but we will also celebrate a wonderful career and a
wonderful association with the Betfair Chase and Haydock Park."
Betfair spokesman, Tony
Calvin, added: "It is great news that Kauto Star will parade at Haydock
Park on Betfair Chase Day.
"He won our race four
times, and it probably would have been five had he not unseated his rider at
the last in 2008.
"And it is obviously
very fitting that we will be unveiling his statue at the course on the day,
too.
"Betfair and Haydock
jointly commissioned a statue from Will Newton earlier this year, so Kauto's
legacy will remain at the course in full view."
IMPERIAL
COMMANDER ON COURSE FOR BETFAIR CHASE AFTER WEEKEND WORKOUT
The £200,000 Grade One
Betfair Chase is the highlight of the two-day Betfair Chase Weekend at Haydock
Park on Friday and Saturday, November 23 and 24.
The three-mile contest is
the first Grade One prize of the British Jump season and regularly attracts the
best staying chasers with this year's renewal is likely to feature the return
of 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Imperial Commander.
The 11-year-old, trained
by Nigel Twiston-Davies, has not been seen since the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup
when he was pulled up. Imperial Commander won the 2010 Betfair Chase by a
comfortable length and a quarter. In the 2009 Betfair Chase, Kauto Star and
Imperial Commander had a tremendous dual up the Haydock home straight and
crossed finishing line as one. After several minutes of deliberation, the judge
awarded Kauto Star victory by a nose.
Last Saturday, October 27,
Imperial Commander had a workout before racing at Chepstow.
Nigel Twiston-Davies
revealed: "Imperial Commander is on course for the Betfair Chase at
Haydock. He went very nicely at the weekend - it was only a canter round - but
he did it very nicely so that was all right.
"We sent him to
Chepstow just keep him interested and on his toes and obviously to increase his
fitness and things like that - we want to get him to the race at 100%.
"His clash with Kauto
Star in 2009 was quite a sad day for us because we thought we had won when we
hadn't, but we got our revenge in the Gold Cup that season."
In this year's Betfair
Chase, Imperial Commander could clash with 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup victor Long
Run, who was runner-up to Kauto Star in the 2011 Betfair Chase as well as
last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up The Giant Bolster. Trainer
David Pipe has indicated the showpiece is an option for last season's Grade One
Feltham Novices' Chase scorer Grands Crus.
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