Kauto Star Gold Cup Favourite

It was announced today that Kauto Star is one of 27 horses engaged in the Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup which will take place on Friday 19th March. Kauto Star is the only horse ever to regain the Gold Cup crown and heads an incredible list of horses who will all compete in the £475,000 Grade 1 contest.

The Paul Nicholls trained horse will be bidding to emulate Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate with a third victory. Kauto Star, who is currently ante-post, odds on favourite with nearly every bookmaker, is just one potent challenge from Nicholls, who is bidding to become the first trainer since Basil Briscoe (1932-35) to win four successive Cheltenham Gold Cups and has entered eight horses to give himself the best chances of another victory.

His team includes the 2008 Gold Cup winner Denman and What A Friend, who chased home Denman in the Hennessy Gold Cup and then won the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.

But this isn’t just the Paul Nicholls show and other notable contenders include Imperial Commander, who took the Ryanair Chase at the festival last season and went down by a nose to Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, and a potential Irish challenge of eight is headed by the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Cooldine, successful in last season’s Grade 1 RSA Chase, and the unexposed Glencove Marina.

Ante-post odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Paddy Power are as follows…

• Kauto Star 5/4
• Denman 2/1
• Cooldine 16/1
• Imperial Commander 16/1
• What A Friend 25/1
• Carruthers 25/1
• Notre Pere 33/1
• Madison Du Berlais 40/1
• Money Trix 40/1
• Albertas Run 50/1
• Tricky Trickster 50/1
• Rare Bob 50/1
• Glencove Marina 50/1
• Aran Concerto 66/1
• Schindlers Hunt 66/1
• Air Force One 66/1
• Casey Jones 66/1
• Cloudy lane 66/1
• In Compliance 66/1
• Taranis 66/1
• Roll Along 80/1
• Calgary Bay 100/1
• Mon Mome 100/1
• My Will 100/1
• Trabolgan 100/1
• Mr Pointment 200/1
• Cerium 250/1