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Kauto Star, Denman square up for decider

The Cheltenham Festival reaches its climax when Paul Nicholls’ duo Kauto Star and Denman - jump racing’s two prize fighters - trade punches again in the Gold Cup.

Kauto Star has the edge over his stablemate going into the 2010 edition of the National Hunt blue riband, winning in 2007 - owner Clive Smith was so overwhelmed with the result he slept with the Gold Cup trophy beside his bed the night after the race.

Denman took Kauto Star on and put him firmly in his place in 2008 only for Kauto Star to gain his revenge in emphatic style last year.

With the score between the two giants of the turf standing at 1-1 Friday’s showpiece is billed as the decider.

Nicholls’ loyalties are torn, but the former policeman appears to favour Kauto Star.

The champion trainer told a pre-Festival audience last week: “It will take a monumental effort from him (Denman) or anything else to beat Kauto in his current form.

“It is hard to believe he is improving at 10, but to my mind his best two performances of his life came at Kempton at Christmas and in last year’s Gold Cup.

“The hardest part is knowing one of them will get beaten.”

Kauto Star goes into his bid for a three-timer on the back of arguably his most impressive career performance when landing a fourth King George VI Chase at Kempton in December.

Denman’s preparations in contrast suffered a hitch when he unseated his big race rider, Tony McCoy, in his prep at Newbury last month.

His supporters will overlook that rare lapse and prefer to linger instead on his sensational feat when shouldering topweight to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup last November.

Kauto Star, nicknamed ‘the extra terrestrial’ in his native France, has amassed a record prize money haul of over two million pounds.

He dominates the ante-post market at 4-6 with Denman second favourite at 4-1.

Nicholls has two other strings to his Gold Cup bow in Tricky Trickster and My Will but the one that could give them most concern is Cooldine from Willie Mullins’ successful Irish stable.

He was beaten a neck in his prep, the Irish Gold Cup, in heavy ground, and is third best in the betting at 8-1 in company with Nigel Twiston-Davies’ King George fifth, Imperial Commander, a winner at last year’s Festival.

The 2009 Grand National winner, Mon Mome, trained by Venetia Williams, adds intrigue to what promises to be a classic Gold Cup.