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Long Run beaten
'King George' favourite Long Run beaten but unbowed
As the dust settles after one of the greatest horse races you're ever likely to see, connections of Betfair Chase runner-up Long Run must barely be able to wait until getting a chance to reverse placings with their Haydock conqueror, the mighty Kauto Star, who ran out an eight-length winner of a race that will live a long, long time in the memory, writes Elliot Slater.
The bare facts state that Long Run (the 6/5 favourite and reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner), went down to an eight-length defeat at the hands of the nearly 12-years old Kauto Star (6/1), who came back from the brink of retirement to win the Grade 1 three-mile chase for the fourth time in his career to go with two Cheltenham Gold Cups, two Tingle Creek Chases, and the not insignificant matter of four King George VI Chases. Kauto Star, trained to the moment for his Haydock reappearance by Paul Nicholls, was a brilliant winner on the day, but surely Nicky Henderson, trainer of the six-year-old Long Run, must have been very pleased indeed with the way his young star performed on his seasonal reappearance. People looking at the King George VI Chase betting odds should remember this.
It should be recalled that last year Long Run was beaten into third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase on his seasonal reappearance before going on to rout his rivals in the 'King George' at Kempton and then break the hearts of Kauto Star and his gallant stable companion Denman in the Cheltenham Gold Cup three months later, so in comparison Saturday's performance was a superb effort for a horse who clearly tends to need an outing to bring him to concert pitch. Those following the Kempton chase betting odds must bear this in mind.
There will be many at Kempton on Boxing Day rooting for Kauto Star to break yet another record and defy his advancing years, but surely Long Run, with the Haydock race under his belt and now a tempting 7/4 ante-post favourite (from 4/5), is the one they will all have to beat at the Sunbury track, returning to the scene of some of his very best career performances.
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