# Kauto Pulled up



## amage (4 May 2011)

Started to tail off in Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown. I'd say that may have been his last race. Race was won by outsider Follow the Plan


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## amage (4 May 2011)

But he got a lovely cheer up the home straight from the crowd.


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## teapot (4 May 2011)

Doesn't surprise me  Hope he gets the retirement he deserves!


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## amage (4 May 2011)

Commentators already saying its his last race before connections have even spoken. He looked game and up for it on way to the start but tbh jumped very safe and ordinary and looked like he was going through the motions the whole way round. He looked too disinterested to throw one of his heart in mouth jumps


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## teagreen (4 May 2011)

He's lost the spark that we all saw when the young Kauto was racing. It brought a lump to my throat seeing him cantering back in past the stands, enjoying the crowd and being led in by his owner - how things have changed since the 'good days'. At least he is safe and sound; thanks for providing me with so many breathtaking memories, old boy. I hope they put him out to grass now.


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## amage (4 May 2011)

Nicholls is still not ruling out running him in the autumn...


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## dominobrown (4 May 2011)

maybe I could get him to point to point???


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## TelH (4 May 2011)

Nicholls/Smith are saying no decision to be made until after the summer  Is that not just delaying the inevitable  The horse has nothing to gain and everything to lose by training on, I really think the time has come to say goodbye  Kauto could do so much to promote racing in his retirement and I hope that is where his future lies now


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## teagreen (4 May 2011)

Clive Smith was speaking on ATR and I got the vibe that he thought it was time for him to retire, he said he'd had a great and long career and it might be time for new things now, and many happy days in the paddock. I think they'll retire him.


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## TelH (4 May 2011)

teagreen said:



			Clive Smith was speaking on ATR and I got the vibe that he thought it was time for him to retire, he said he'd had a great and long career and it might be time for new things now, and many happy days in the paddock. I think they'll retire him.
		
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I hope they do  I've been kind of on the fence about it all season, should they, shouldn't they, but I really do think it is time now  And for what it's worth I think Kauto's run in the 2009 King George was as close to perfection as we will see for a very very long time, that is how he should be remembered


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## olop (4 May 2011)

I am also hoping they retire him - the horse owes them nothing & he has been a truly magnificant horse over the years, it will probably be a long time until we see another like him.  He deserves his rest now


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## beth123 (4 May 2011)

i agree, i dont really understand why they ran him today, after we never see him after cheltenham! i think both the heros shouldve been retired after this years gold cup


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## wizoz (4 May 2011)

beth123 said:



			i agree, i dont really understand why they ran him today, after we never see him after cheltenham! i think both the heros shouldve been retired after this years gold cup
		
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Clive Smith wanted him to run in Ireland, that's why he ran today but I think they left it too late in his career really. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.


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## beth123 (4 May 2011)

mmmm i agree, pauls quoted saying if he runs like that in the autumn he'll be retired! poor kauto


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## Baggybreeches (4 May 2011)

dominobrown said:



			maybe I could get him to point to point???  

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I thought that and then realised I like my teeth too much! 

I hope they do retire him, I think to visit the well once too often on such a horse would be disastarous (sp)


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## HashRouge (4 May 2011)

It does sound like it's time for him to stop. I was sort of hoping this year's Gold Cup would be the last outing for both him and Denman. Kauto certainly seems to be losing his sparkle and I think it is only going to be downhill for Denman from here as well - better to stop to soon than too late, IMO.


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## Daffodil (4 May 2011)

Why do I get the feeling that the more the public express the view that Kauto should be retired, the more connections refuse to accept that the time has come.

Pure pig-headedness

PN is on record as saying that once he shows signs of not loving his racing he will be retired.   What more of a sign does he need than to see his super star pulled up in a race where the field was not exactly top class.  Mercifully he jumped well, and thank God Ruby didn't push him.


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## amage (4 May 2011)

I do wonder though if Punchestown had come ten - 14 days earlier like it usually does (late this year due to late Easter) would some of them have run a better race. Nacarat & Kauto both looked to be bored yet both looked gamey and up for it going to the start, Kauto in particular had his ears pricked and took a hold. Ruby said it was the best jumping he's ever done yet I was kind of watching it thinking he looked too bored to throw any of his heart in mouth jumps and was being well behaved rather than showing off! I don't think he is a gold cup horse any more but having earlier on thought enough is enough I actually now think if he summered well there would be no harm in giving him a race in the Autumn. He always seems to be a different horse in Nov/Dec and perhaps it is because he is fresher going into those races! He never travelled at any stage of the race and if he had hit the wall I'd be all for retiring him yet having watched the race back a few times he looked like if he was a handicapper you'd stick on a set of blinkers and refocus his attention! There is no doubt he has done a huge amount and had a fab career and deserves a retirement but I would be interested to see how he would fair in training in the Autumn


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## Caledonia (4 May 2011)

Up to this point in his career, barring putting AP up for the KG ( I realise that's contentious for some, but it is what I believe), I think Kauto has been handled with such exemplary care from connections. 
Today, Kauto ran well enough sat in behind, he even chucked in a couple of his exuberant leaps, but about 3 out Ruby got after him for about a furlong, he started to tail off and then all power to Ruby for pulling him up. 

Then I listened to ATR and heard Clive Smith mention about a possible wind op. 

WTF - how much, seriously, does this legend have to do to satisfy them? He is up there with the greats - perhaps CS and PN could take a leaf out of JP's book on how he and AO'B immediately retired Istabraq. 

Whether they like it or not, he is now racing's horse, not just theirs. And to carry on with him is to jeopardise racing as well as the horse. I hope to god they announce his retirement soon.


ETA - with EXTREME horror - blinkers on KS?????? 

Speechless.............


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## amage (4 May 2011)

Caledonia said:



			ETA - with EXTREME horror - blinkers on KS?????? 

Speechless.............
		
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I didn't say they should put them on!!!!!!!!! Relax!!!


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## Caledonia (4 May 2011)

amage said:



			I didn't say they should put them on!!!!!!!!! Relax!!!
		
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I'm relaxed - no less appalled at your blasphemy tho...........


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## Daffodil (4 May 2011)

Well said Caledonia.  

I hadn't heard the comment about a wind op
Dear God, that seems to be PN's answer to everything

I've been a fan of PN's for years, always cheer on his horses and support and follow them closely, but his inability to accept that retirement should be beckoning for both KS and Denman is beginning to colour my view.


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## dominobrown (4 May 2011)

They are both only 11 btw (denman and kauto star), thats not terribly old for NH, though have lost their form. Maybe something's changed on the yard...
deffo a few more years pointing in both at the very least!


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## amage (4 May 2011)

dominobrown said:



			deffo a few more years pointing in both at the very least! 

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Sure Irish Open Lightweights are full of some real superstar ex track horses...there was one last season that had 8 ex gold cup horses in it!!


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## Caledonia (5 May 2011)

I give you Doran's Pride? Or Armaturk (Not a GC horse, I know, but still a decent 2m chaser)? 

Do you guys really want to see these horses reduced to running against yokes, and dying on the track for their trouble?


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## amage (5 May 2011)

They tried retirement for Doran's Pride....he hated it which was why he went back racing. Yes he died but he died doing what he loved and that is far nicer then a horse that can't handle retirement


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## Caledonia (5 May 2011)

amage said:



			They tried retirement for Doran's Pride....he hated it which was why he went back racing. Yes he died but he died doing what he loved and that is far nicer then a horse that can't handle retirement
		
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He didn't look to be enjoying it much when he ran at Cheltenham the time he died. 

Much as I admired Doran's Pride, Kauto is more than just another good horse - he is up there with Dessie and Arkle, and whilst I absolutely agree some horses hate retirement, they don't need to go on the race track to keep their interest in their life up. But then, you'd be the clown putting blinkers on him, which kind of says it all...........


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## Amymay (5 May 2011)

TelH said:



			Nicholls/Smith are saying no decision to be made until after the summer  Is that not just delaying the inevitable  The horse has nothing to gain and everything to lose by training on, I really think the time has come to say goodbye  Kauto could do so much to promote racing in his retirement and I hope that is where his future lies now 

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Greed, greed, greed, greed!!!


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## Alec Swan (5 May 2011)

Caledonia said:



			.......WTF - how much, seriously, does this legend have to do to satisfy them? He is up there with the greats - .......

Whether they like it or not, he is now racing's horse, not just theirs. And to carry on with him is to jeopardise racing as well as the horse. I hope to god they announce his retirement soon........Speechless.............
		
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I'm with you.  Well said.  I suppose that we should be grateful for the fact that at least McCoy recognised that no more could be asked of the horse.  I would hope that KS's connections will take a leaf,  from the same book.

Alec.


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## Girlracer (5 May 2011)

It is a real shame that such a truely great horse is more than likely going to have to go out on a low. 

I've thought for a while it was time really to retire them, if they don't like being a field ornament there's plenty of other things i'm sure the both of them would enjoy.


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## teagreen (5 May 2011)

It must be difficult though. I have a pony who did extremely well in the showring, then he went a bit funny and we decided to retire him from the ring. But he hates hacking and hates standing in the field and hates seeing the box go places without him, plus he looks absolutely amazing. He trots up and down the paddock and takes your breath away - so obviously the temptation is there to show him again. So we did, and in his case it was obvious that it all now blew his mind and sadly we now just have to look at him rather than show him. But the temptation to show him, just one more time, because he looked so brilliant and was going so well at home, was too big. We had images in our mind of him going out, following a break, and showing that old spark, and he just didn't. If they look well at home and are going well, it is so difficult not to just try one more time. And we badly wanted him to go out on a high, and I think it's the same with Kauto. Obviously racing is more dangerous than showing, but I think the same sort of thing applies. But then, what race is he going to win now, like Down says?


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## MICHAELA8228 (5 May 2011)

I will just throw into the mix (by the way, I'm BIG fans of both the horses), the ground IS unseasonably hard at the mo (even on a watered race track) - that can't have helped theirs, or many other horses cause........


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## teagreen (5 May 2011)

Down also says he didn't look at his best in the paddock, very 'end of seasony'. 

I don't think he's been the same all season. His win at Down Royal was poor, then it wouldn't have mattered if God himself had been riding him in the King George, he wouldn't have won. The addition of AP that day didn't matter a blot. He was, however, still third in that and third in the Gold Cup (even with the 'great Ruby' on board this time) so he's not entirely useless, he's just not the young star we used to see. 

The Racing Post headline - 'What now for the falling Star?' - brought a lump to my throat.


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## KautoStar1 (5 May 2011)

hey, I am a huge Kauto fan and have thoroughly enjoyed seeing him race (even if my heart has been in my mouth at times) and as he's a race horse, I've always believed that is what he should be doing for as long as he can.  I agree with an earlier comment that he has been handled in the most exemplary way by PN - the fact that the horse has been so prolific over such a long time is testament to PN and his team and of course the horse himself is so robust.
But he is only a horse - flesh and blood - and not infallible and at some stage, the rigours of a busy life will catch up with him.  Perhaps that time is now, even if in his head he enjoys it, the body isn't quite as quick as it was.  So, yes maybe it is time to call it a day and for this magnificent horse to be celebrated for the superstar that he has been and still is.  I'm sure the people who know him best, PN and CS, will make the right choices for him.  After all, they've not done a bad job so far, so lets give them some time to reflect and make sensible decisions based on the horse himself and not our emotions.

I think its worth remembering that this horse is, in racing terms at least, a bit of a freak of nature.  Most top horses have 2 or 3 big races in them and they are considered 'great'  (Kicking King, Best Mate, Denman, etc etc).  This horse has lasted 8 years in training and won 14 Grade One races.  14.  That is quite extraordinary.  

His epic battles with Denman and his demolition of good King George fields will go down in history and I am glad I can say I've been there to see it all.  Time will tell but I think it will be another lifetime before any horse matches his record.


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## Double_choc_lab (5 May 2011)

Kautostar 1 - I'm with you and also echo these sentiments for Denman (my favourite I'm afraid!).  Both of these superstars owe neither PN or CS anything and as others say could do much to promote racing - I've lost count of the amount of times I saw Dessie in retirement.


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## millhouse (5 May 2011)

I would like to see both Kauto and Denman retired, but I've a feeling they will run again next season.


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## Muchadoaboutnothing (5 May 2011)

I really think Kauto should go out with his head held high and being remembered as the outstanding horse he is. He owes nothing.

Gward help racing if something happened to Kauto when most people are of the opion that he should be retired from racing.

Remember gorgeous George Washington? Brought back from retirement (because of being infertile) even though he had amased a huge amount of earnings for his owner, only to break his fetlock back racing on that horrid track in america.

There is life for a racehorse outside of racing. One that Kauto just might enjoy


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## Miss L Toe (5 May 2011)

Some racehorses adapt to life outside the yard, others are retired as trainers hacks because they like the routine, eg Viking Flagship, others go on as hunter chasers like Earthmover, a more laid back life, its just the end of Grade one races for him, not the end of the line.


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## Clodagh (6 May 2011)

I think they (KS & Denman) would make cracking hunters!! Might need to be masters horses though.

I hope they are retired at the top and not left to fade into oblivion as their handicap drops.


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## NU ABO (8 May 2011)

I think Kauto really should be retired around now. He hasn't been racing at his usualy standard for a while now and there's no need to make him continue racing and retire on a sour note.

I loved that the Irish crowd gave him a standing ovation though.

As Ruby himself says, he's been one of the greatest National Hunt racers of our generation and now he deserves to live out the rest of his life enjoying it.


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## lachlanandmarcus (10 May 2011)

I feel that Kauto and Denman should both be retired now, and not to do so makes be feel slightly queasy because the smell of greed seems to hang over a decision to carry on.

 His bad run that makes you retire him, PN, could well be a run that kills him. Please dont allow that to happen, he's not an 'ordinary' racehorse, give him the retirement so many racehorses never get to enjoy please.

I write this as a lover not opponent of NH racing.


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## Maesfen (10 May 2011)

Interesting that none of you have picked up about being French bred.  So many of their racers, Martin Pipe had many I believe, are started much younger than ours and by nine or ten, have completely burnt themselves out or broken down.
Thankfully not the problem with KS, but I think it bodes well to remember how few French horses are racing much past this age anyway.

I hope he's retired now, him and Denman both but I also hope they do not go pointing, that would be totally unfair on the true amateurs of that sport.


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## dominobrown (10 May 2011)

God I was ony joking! Firstly they would cost a bomb- secondly PN wouldn't allow it! wow...


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