Kauto Star make history by winning fourth straight King George Chase

Kauto Star has made history by winning the 2009 William Hill King George Chase today at Kempton Park for the fourth year in a row.

The legendary Desert Orchid set the record to beat at four wins in five years and three wins in succession, but Kauto Star bettered that on Boxing Day by beating a top class field to win four in a row with jockey Ruby Walsh, trainer Paul Nicholls and owner Clive Smith.

Nacarat lead for most of the race, but Kauto Star cruised to the lead on the final bend and won by a record-breaking ‘distance’, 36 lengths, from Madison Du Berlais and Babers Shop.

Second favourite Imperial Commander, who lost to Kauto Star by a nose in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month, made a mistake early on and finished 5th.

“It’s some performance to come back four years in a race and it’s even better to win four in a row – it was some performance,” said jockey Ruby Walsh after the win.

“Paul, Dan, Clifford, Mick they’ve all done it. To be on his [Kauto Star's] back is a privilege.”

Trainer Paul Nicholls said about his star horse: “I said he was as well as I ever had him, but that’s the best he’s ever been.”

2009 King George VI Chase Results

• 1. Kauto Star
• 2. Madison Du Berlais
• 3. Babers Shop
• 4. Nacarat
• 5. Imperial Commander
• 6. Albertas Run
• 7. Tartak
• 8. Our Vic
• 9. Ollie Magern
• 10. Sandymac
• PU Deep Purple
• PU Master Medic
• PU Racing Demon

Kempton Park officials are confident of beating cold snap for King George Chase on Boxing Day

Kempton Park’s Clerk of the course Barney Clifford is confident that the William Hill King George VI Chase festival will beat the current cold snap and go ahead as planned on Boxing Day.

The recent cold snap has already put several National Hunt fixtures on Boxing Day in doubt, with racing at Towcester already abandoned. But Kempton Park has deployed frost covers over the entirety of the track and officials are confident that the course will be ready for racing.

“If we were racing today we’d fall into the same trap as Haydock on Saturday that if we lifted the covers they would freeze behind us, so it’s a good job they are in place. Looking ahead, the temperatures are due to rise from tonight and over the next three or four days,” Clifford said.

“We’ve got some precipitation coming through – showers of rain and sleet – but temperatures are set to rise to four degrees tomorrow and five degrees Christmas Day and hopefully increasing through Boxing Day and December 27. It’s perfectly raceable under the covers, they keep the ground temperature high.

“Prior to employing the covers, we were good to soft and we’ve had 10 millimetres of precipitation but you still couldn’t call it anything other than good. It might ride a bit dead.”

Kauto Star is set to take on 12 in the 2009 King George VI Chase

After the final declarations stage for the King George VI Chase, Kauto Star is set to take on 12 opponents in the feature grade 1 race on December 26 at Kempton Park. Roll Along, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, was the only horse to be removed from the field.

Defending champion Kauto Star is still the favourite to take out the 3 mile chase for a history making 4th consecutive year, with current odds of 8/13 with event sponsor William Hill. Imperial Commander and Madison Du Berlais lead the rest of the field in betting.

See the full 2009 King George Chase field.

Ruby Walsh thinks Kauto Star is as good or even better than last year

Jockey Ruby Walsh, who is hoping to make history with Kauto Star by winning a fourth successive King George VI Chase at Kempton on December 26, thinks the 9 year old is in as good or even better form than he was for last year’s race.

“I would say Kauto Star is as good if not better than last year,” Walsh said. “Kempton’s been a very lucky track to me over the last couple of years and Kauto has been outstanding there.

“It’s a race I really look forward to and I can’t wait for it to come around. I’m looking forward to riding him and if he could win four King George’s he will go down in history.”

If Kauto Star wins on Boxing Day he will equal Desert Orchid’s record of 4 wins and break the record of 3 consecutive wins. Walsh would also equal jockey Richard Dunwoody’s record of 4 King George Chase wins.

Kauto Star is currently at 4/7 with event sponsor William Hill.

David Pipe is expecting Madison Du Berlais to improve for the King George Chase

Trainer David Pipe is expecting Madison Du Berlais to improve for the King George VI Chase after finishing third behind Kauto Star and Imperial Commander in lat month’s Betfair Chase in his first run of the season.

“He’s in great form and he doesn’t perform up to his best first time out for some reason,” Pipe said.

“He was beaten a long way and he’s got to improve, but he usually does improve for his first run and he put up a good performance round Kempton last year when beating Denman.

“Kauto Star is 1-2 favourite and looks a good thing and we’re probably looking for place money but we’ll be doing our best to try and beat him and if you’re not in it you can’t win it.”

Madison Du Berlais is currently at 8/1 with event sponsor William Hill for the King George Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.

Kauto Star heads 14 for the King George Chase

The field for the 2009 King George VI Chase is down to 14 horses with Kauto Star still the favourite for the Grade 1 feature on Boxing Day at Kempton Park.

Horses that were taken out of the field in the latest forfeit stage include In Compliance and Schindlers Hunt, both trained by Dessie Hughes, as well as What A Friend and Cooldine who are both headed for the Lexus Chase. Joe Lively and Chief Dan George will also not take part in this year’s race.

Nigel Twiston-Davies still has three entries with Imperial Commander, Ollie Magern and Roll Along while David Pipe has two entries with Madison Du Berlais and Our Vic. But all eyes will be on the Paul Nicholls trained Kauto Star and jockey Ruby Walsh as they aim for a fourth consecutive King George Chase victory.

Currently Kauto Star is 4/7 with event sponsor William Hill.

Joe Lively doubtful for King George Chase

Joe Lively, who’s last win was at Cheltenham in January, is doubtful to run in this year’s King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on December 26.

The 10 year old, trained by Colin Tizzard, has already been removed from antepost betting at event sponsor William Hill, where he last had odds of 66/1. If Joe Lively is indeed out then the field for this year’s race will be down to 18 horses.

Babers Shop confirmed for the 2009 King George Chase

The Queen’s horse Babers Shop has been confirmed for this year’s William Hill King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. The news of the confirmation has seen Babers Shop’s odds drop from 20/1 to 14/1 with event sponsor William Hill.

The King George Chase, and taking on Kauto Star, was seen as a better option for the seven year old instead of Ascot’s Sodexo Prestige Silver Cup on Saturday, where he would have had to concede weight to all but What A Friend.

“He is at the top of every handicap unless he’s got a Denman in the race like in the Hennessy, where he ran superbly. So we either run in a handicap at Ascot from top weight or have a go at Kauto Star in the King George, and that’s what we decided to do. Three miles suits him well as I don’t think he’s a real slogger” said trainer Nicky Henderson.

Kempton Park confident King George Chase will be on despite weather forecast

Despite a forecast for wintery weather Kempton Park officials are confident the King George Chase and the William Hill Winter Festival will go ahead.

Brian Clifford, clerk of the course at Kempton Park, said that while the weather forecast predicted a likelihood of snow showers to hit the course that they would take all suitable precautions in order to protect the ground and will lay down special frost mats.

“I’m very optimistic the King George will go ahead,” Clifford said.

“We were raceable on Wednesday despite temperatures dropping to -4C the previous night.

“The King George card has not been called off in my 10 years here, although it was transferred to Sandown in 2005 while the course was redeveloped.

“The frost covers insulate the ground and we have twice managed to have fixtures during my time here despite snowfall, so I’m very optimistic,” Clifford added.