Scotia It`s getting cold in the Scotland.

Will be hard going for Kauto on the mud,different running against poor horses in the Mud and scrambling home,but Notre Pere loves the Mud and is top classs rival.

Having said that Kauto never stops surprising us..

Kauto the star attraction at Haydock on Saturday


ALL eyes will be on Kauto Star at Haydock on Saturday as the dual Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup winner makes his seasonal debut in the Betfair Chase, a race he has won twice in his illustrious career.

The Paul Nicholls-trained nine-year-old will bid to banish the memories of last year's race, in which he unseated jockey Sam Thomas after the final fence.

Owner Clive Smith, who saw his Master Minded turned over at Cheltenham last Sunday, is hopeful of victory on Saturday.

Smith told the Racing Post on Friday: "We think he's in good shape. Obviously he will be even better for the race but, equally, he is in as good a shape as we can have him, given that he hasn't had a race."

Kauto Star, 5-4 favourite with Betfred, Victor Chandler and William Hill, will face stern opposition in the shape of Irish raider Notre Pere, who fell on his seasonal reappearance in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 7.

Jim Dreaper, trainer of the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup winner, who many believe will provide Kauto Star with a stern test on his favoured testing surface, reckons his charge is over that accident and ready to rumble.

"He had a school earlier in the week, which went fine, and a piece of work, and as far as we can see he's none the worse for his fall last time," said Dreaper on Friday.

While the testing underfoot conditions will favour Notre Pere, general 2-1 second favourite, they may hinder the chances of Madison Du Berlais.

The David Pipe-trained runner, winner of last season's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, has put up his best performances on better ground and overcame Denman in the Levy Board Chase at Kempton on good to soft.

Another contender among the nine runners - the biggest Betfair Chase field since the Grade 1 race was inaugurated in 2005 - who may be disadvantaged by the ground is Imperial Commander, winner of the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Haydock also hosts the £100,000 Timeform Betfair Racing Club Fixed Brush Handicap Hurdle, a race which features the return of Diamond Harry, third in last season's Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

On a fine day of jump racing, Ascots host the Grade 2 Amlin 1965 Chase, which features old rivals Voy Por Ustedes and Monet's Garden, who was an impressive winner of the Old Roan Chase at Aintree last month.

Alan King, trainer of Voy Por Ustedes, reported the eight-year-old to be in fine fettle going into the race.

King said on Friday: "He has had two good schools this week and looks to be in very good order. Watching him jump out of that soft ground on Monday, you would have thought that he had springs on his feet."

Earlier on the same card, Zaynar, winner of last season's JCB Triumph Hurdle, bids to maintain his unbeaten record in the Grade 2 Coral Ascot Hurdle, but he will have to be in top form to overcome some serious older rivals, such as Karabak and Katchit, winner of the 2008 Champion Hurdle.

Ruby was bullish on the TV yesterday..

Most courages win in the 3rd by Mr Thriller, the horse looked beat with a furlong to go, rallied back gamely to take it on line.

How close was Kauto's win? Here's the photo

KAUTO STAR just edged out Imperial Commander in a thrilling photo-finish to the Betfair Chase at Haydock - 2.55pm - butChannel 4 Racing viewers did not see an on-the-line photograph of his narrow victory.


Clive Smith Owner of Kato Star holding print of photo finnish Haydock - 21.11.2009

Punters were clamouring to see the definitive view of his breathtaking victory and here we reproduce a photograph by John Grossick of the official print, which is a mirror-image. Note that this is not an exact reproduction of the official photo.

Racingpost.com requested the official print of the finish, but we were told by RaceTech that for technical reasons they were unable to provide one until Sunday.

Our racecourse reporter, David Carr, has seen the official print and insists the judge got this one spot-on.

Denman has 'big chance' of second Hennessy win


DENMAN is not as well handicapped as he was two years ago but still has "a big chance" of matching the feats of Arkle and Mandarin by clinching a second Hennessy Gold Cup victory on Saturday, trainer Paul Nicholls said on Monday.

As was the case in 2007, Denman willcarry top weight of 11st 12lb at Newbury but this time he has earned the burden from a BHA rating of 174, having raced off a mark of 161 when recording an 11-length win on his first appearance.

Last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, rated 182 at his peak, headed a star-laden field of 37 acceptors for the historic handicap chase that, with the inclusion of War Of Attrition, features two Gold Cup winners, John Smith's Grand National winner Mon Mome, 2006 Hennessy winner State Of Play plus the winners in last season's Christies Foxhunters and Bet365 Gold Cup, Cappa Bleu and Hennessy.

The presence of Denman, who had a gallop at Exeter two weeks ago as part of his preparation, will prevent the weights going up, leaving connections of 20 of the entries to consider whether to run from outside the handicap, while also enhancing Nicholls' claims with stablemates What A Friend and My Will set to run, too.

Assessing his chance on Monday, Nicholls said: "We have Denman nice and well. He has done it before. The fact that he won the Gold Cup that season means he was well handicapped off 161. You could argue he is now not that well handicapped. He has got to carry nearly a stone more in effect, but if he runs like he did in last year's Gold Cup hehas got a big chance.

"I have always trained What A Friend for the race. He has a nice light weight. He is in good order. He is a second-season novice, the type that often runs well."

Denman heads the ante-post market at 4-1 from What A Friend, a top-priced 7-1 with Ladbrokes and Blue Square, and Barbers Shop, who is the same price with Victor Chandler and Blue Square.

The Long Distance Hurdle has been reopened until this morning after the race attracted only nine entries but Nicholls confirmed that Big Buck's, winner of the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, is on target to run.

Master Minded ruled out of Tingle Creek


MASTER MINDED will not run in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in 12 days' time after PaulNicholls revealed on Monday night he is not happy with the dual Champion Chase winner, who is set to have a bone scan on Thursday to try to shed light on why he is hanging badly right-handed.

Nicholls said: "Clifford [Baker] cantered Master Minded on Saturday morning and he reported he wasn't happy with him.


"He was changing his legs at the top of the gallop and hanging desperately right-handed, just like he did when running at Cheltenham the other day. It was a similar story when Georgie [Browne] cantered him this morning.

"I discussed it with our vet, Buffy [Shirley-Beavan], and we decided the best course of action is to send him to Newmarket on Thursday, where he'll have a bone scan. If that reveals anything, we can then take the appropriate action.

"If nothing shows up, I'll just have to build him up again quietly and hope things come right for Cheltenham in March.

"Whatever the outcome of the scan, I will run out of time to have him ready for the Tingle Creek on Saturday week and our main aim will be to get him right again for the Champion Chase.

"It may be he will end up having just the one run beforehand, in the Game Spirit at Newbury."

The brilliant two-miler, who is general 7-4 favourite for the Champion Chase, had puzzled Nicholls when "hanging like a gate" before finishing third to Well Chief in the Connaught Chase at Cheltenham nine days ago.

Denman will take a bit of beating this year..


Closing Stages of the Hennessey

brilliant txs

watched again had computer problems, and we are in for a few treats over the jump season, another Denman/Kauto clash on the cards, as good as Ali/Frazier to me

You want to get people to racing??

This is the real McCOY, maybe Ruby makes the choice and Tony gets the other?


Ground a factor in Gold Cup clash says Nicholls

29 NOV 2009 PAUL NICHOLLS on Sunday predicted that ground conditions could be key to the outcome of the eagerly-awaited Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup clash between Kauto Star and Denman, but repeated that he has no real idea which of the two stablemates will triumph.

Denman's successful shouldering of top weight to a second Hennessy Gold Cup victory inevitably ignited debate about which of the two chasers will prove superior when, all things permitting, they clash for the third time in jumping's most prestigious prize.

Denman is be rested until the Aon Chase at Newbury in February and, with each horse holding one Cheltenham verdict over the other, their latest encounter will be billed as the greatdecider.

Bookmakers are finding it difficult to decide which horse to favour with Ladbrokes, Coral and Bet365 all quoting the Ditcheat duo as joint-favourites at either 7-4 or 2-1.

Speaking at Newbury, Denman's joint-owner, Paul Barber, suggested that Kauto Star would win a good ground Gold Cup, while his horsewould score on a soft surface. Asked for his own thoughts on Sunday, Nicholls largely agreed.


Nicholls - who confirmed Denman to be "as bright as a button" - said: "One horse likes really good ground, one likes really soft ground, but they both go on either, so if it was midway, I wouldn't know what to say.

"The biggest headache will be Ruby Walsh's, as he'll have to make a decision. It will make things very interesting."

This was an attempt to show the ice on the decking -2 or -3 here this morning and look at the fog coming in from the Ochils..



White Christmas would be nice though..