Kauto Star to Compete in Cheltenham Gold Cup

French-born Kauto Star was bought by Clive Smith from Serge Foucher in the summer of 2004 for €400,000. He was a four-year-old tenderfoot at the time. His achievements to date, which have earned him the reputation of being the greatest steeplechaser of modern time, include having won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2007 and 2009, becoming the first horse to regain the title. He is the only horse to have claimed victory five times at the King George VI Chase, and the first to win the title in four consecutive seasons. He is also the only horse to have won two separate Grade 1 races four times or more with his four Betfair Chase victories and winning the King George VI Chase five times. Moreover, Kauto Star is the only horse to have won sixteen Grade 1 races in total, and he is said to have earned more in prize money than any other National Hunt horse.

Perfectly paired with reigning Irish National Hunt jockey Ruby Walsh, Kauto Star is sure to present a real challenge to competitors as they race for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Walsh won the Irish amateur title for the first time when he was 18-years old. After taking the title a second time, he turned professional, winning the English Grand National in 2000 at the age of 20, launching him on a very successful career as a jockey. To date, Ruby Walsh has ridden more than 1900 winners, 32 of which were at the Cheltenham Festival. At the Cheltenham Festival in 2009, Walsh set a record in riding seven winners, becoming the jockey with the most victories in the history of the prestigious Cheltenham festival. Fans are no doubt eager to see Kauto Star and jockey Ruby Walsh cross the finish line first at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.