1. Kauto Star was a French-bred National Hunt champion thoroughbred racehorse trained by Paul Nicholls in Somerset and owned by Clive Smith.
67 Facts About Kauto Star
1. 2.
Kauto Star 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.
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Kauto Star is the first horse ever to win a Grade 1 race in six consecutive seasons, which he extended to seven.
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Kauto Star's Racing Post rating of 192 is the highest ever awarded to a National Hunt horse since those ratings began in 1987.
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Kauto Star won the Cheltenham Gold Cup twice, in 2007 and 2009, becoming the first horse to regain the cup.
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Kauto Star tried for three more years to win the race again, but the best placing he could achieve was third in 2011.
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Kauto Star won the King George VI Chase a record five times.
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Kauto Star was foaled on 19 March 2000 and was bred by Mrs Henri Aubert.
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Kauto Star's sire was the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Village Star and his dam was Kauto Relka, who was a daughter of Port Etienne.
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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.
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Kauto Star made his debut in a hurdles race at Bordeaux Le Bouscat Racecourse in France in March 2003, where he finished second.
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Kauto Star started in two more hurdles races that season and won both.
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Kauto Star first came to the attention of Paul Nicholls when he saw a video of him in action at Auteuil.
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Kauto Star used 400,000 euro to purchase Kauto Star from his French owners.
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Kauto Star's next start came in a class 3 novices' chase at Exeter.
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Kauto Star fell at the second to last fence when he had a 12 length lead.
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Kauto Star was passed by Mistral De La Cour, but Kauto Star's jockey Ruby Walsh then re-mounted without his stirrups and chased the leader.
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Kauto Star 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.
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Kauto Star went into the lead with three fences still to jump and held off Ashley Brook by.
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Kauto Star fell at the third fence, and Newmill won the race.
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Kauto Star next ran in the Betfair Chase, his first race over three miles.
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Kauto Star took the lead at the last fence and drew clear to win by 17 lengths from multiple Grade 1 winner Beef Or Salmon.
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Kauto Star was positioned near the front by Ruby Walsh and took the lead with three fences to jump.
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Kauto Star then won the Aon Chase over L'Ami by a neck.
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Kingscliff and Beef Or Salmon led in the early stages of the race, with Kauto Star held up near the rear.
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Kauto Star made progress through the field and was near the leaders with four fences left to jump.
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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.
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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.
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Kauto Star then headed to Kempton Park, for the King George VI Chase.
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Kauto Star eased to victory, winning by eight lengths from Monet's Garden.
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However, it was reported that Kauto Star was understood to be slightly lame after the race.
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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.
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Kauto Star narrowly lost his last race of the season to Ryanair winner Our Vic in the Totesport Bowl at Aintree.
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Kauto Star's next start came in the Betfair Chase and he was ridden by Sam Thomas, with Walsh being out injured with a ruptured spleen.
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Kauto Star returned to Kempton Park for the King George VI Chase.
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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.
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Kauto Star tracked the leaders in the early stages and moved into the lead after jumping the third last fence.
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Kauto Star then pulled clear before the last to win by 13 lengths from Denman.
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Kauto Star ended the season as the top-rated steeplechase horse for the second time.
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Kauto Star was held up near the rear of the field by Walsh and with two fences left to jump he took the lead.
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On Boxing Day 2009 at Kempton Park, Kauto Star attempted to win his fourth consecutive King George VI Chase.
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Kauto Star jumped well throughout the race and went clear with three fences to jump, then easily drew clear to win by 36 lengths.
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In winning the race, Kauto Star was awarded a Racing Post Rating of 192, the highest ever earned by a National Hunt horse.
44.
Kauto Star was given a Timeform rating of 191, the highest given to a horse in almost 40 years and making him the joint-third highest-rated steeplechaser of all time, level with Mill House and behind only Arkle and Flyingbolt.
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Kauto Star was officially rated 193, the highest ever awarded to a chaser.
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Once again sent off as short-priced favourite for the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup, Kauto Star was strongly fancied to win it for the third time.
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Kauto Star spent the early part of the race travelling well and at the seventh fence went into second place.
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Kauto Star looked to put in an equally big jump at the eighth fence before seeming to change his mind just after take off and crashed through the fence.
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At the fourth-to-last fence, known as the downhill fence, and when in fifth place, Kauto Star fell awkwardly, landing on his neck.
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Kauto Star was once more sent off the odds-on favourite.
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Kauto Star looked beaten when blundering at the second last.
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Paul Nicholls announced that Kauto Star would be trained for the Gold Cup as originally planned.
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The Cheltenham Gold Cup marked the first time Kauto Star had not started favourite for a race since 2005.
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Kauto Star was a further 4 lengths back in third and only just held off totesport Bowl winner What A Friend.
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Again, Kauto Star was applauded as he returned to the racecourse stables.
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On Saturday 19 November 2011, Kauto Star lined up for the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park, having pleased his trainer and work rider with his enthusiasm on his return to training.
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Kauto Star won by eight lengths from favourite Long Run, turning the tables on his Gold Cup and King George conqueror of the previous season.
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Kauto Star became the only horse to win a Grade 1 race in seven consecutive seasons.
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On Boxing Day, Kauto Star lined up for the King George VI Chase for the sixth year in succession.
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Kauto Star jumped well and took the lead with four to jump.
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Kauto Star's victory prompted his normally undemonstrative jockey Ruby Walsh to hug his neck on pulling up.
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Kauto Star therefore made history by becoming the first horse to win the King George VI Chase five times.
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Kauto Star was in top, top form and it was just a case if he had recovered from Haydock.
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Intensive physiotherapy and walking exercise brought about a rapid improvement and a week before the Gold Cup, Kauto Star took part in a racecourse gallop at Wincanton Racecourse which pleased connections and put him back on track for the Cheltenham showpiece event.
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Kauto Star's expected retirement was confirmed at the end of October 2012.
66.
On 24 June 2015, Kauto Star was seriously injured when falling in his paddock.
67.
Kauto Star achieved the highest Racing Post rating ever awarded.