Cheltenham Festival 2010: Kauto Stars Gold Cup failure highlights the uncertainty of sport

By Kevin Garside 834PM GMT nineteen March 2010

Down and out Kauto Star supporters come to conditions with the favourite"s tumble at Cheltenham Photo REUTERS

This is the story of sport, never mind Cheltenham, unscripted theatre, balls bouncing off posts, penalties missed, hint plugs blowing, favourites falling, pointless variables drifting around the ears nonetheless in we all go on the ones that can"t miss. Kauto Star and Denman are lessons for us all.

Cheltenham is a sporting solstice; an equine manifestation imprinting the finish of winter, the begin of spring. The confidence of the punter is in step with the season, he carries in his slot a bookmaker"s sheet that says the object is about to shine. It was in this suggestion that Walsh and Kauto Star went to the line, installed with optimism.

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Kauto had frequency looked better. His work left tutor Paul Nicholls acid for accolades. Denman, Pegasus symbol II at Ditcheat, was regularly a step at the at the back of of in his trainer"s heart.

Before them the toughest exam of a horse"s pedigree, 3 and a entertain miles over jumps with an ascending finish to have their boots smoke. The Grand National is harder to win for opposite reasons. But the improved equine triumphs here, usually ask Mon Mome, a stablemate of Kauto Star"s in their French girl and last year"s National hero, third yesterday but never up in this company.

It was over from the impulse the good Kauto ploughed by the eighth. Those that gamble in using would certainly have laid him to lose then. The laws of production pronounced his competition should have finished there.

Walsh kept him upright. Four fences after he was a esteem warrior whose legs had gone. Cheltenham was doused in shock and awe, the punters not ready to hold what they had seen nonetheless incompetent to repudiate the law of it, half a ton of racer widespread all over the floor.

Money was not the usually commodity travelling on Kauto Star. Emotion was roving side saddle. A personal thoughtfulness took me at the back of 40 years to Mexico and a bending shot in to the England goal. Gerd Muller had usually cracked an infant"s World Cup dreams. Two-nil up became 3-2. Don"t equate your chickens pronounced dear old father in his armchair as his son wheeled opposite the sitting room runner after Alan Mullery had put England two-up on the new colour TV.

That same feeling of unfounded beating was tugging at the souls of most yesterday, sketch anguished cries from all those punting for the ante-post hero. Their income had gone.

More than that, there hearts were broken. Denman"s supporters did not have time to put the bunting out. A new hazard was blast at his shoulder, Imperial Commander. Who gave him accede to hang on the race?

As Paddy Brennan non-stop the stifle in the trot up the hill, that alternative sporting story, the shock, began to take hold. The "tank" fell a step short of myth and could not have up ground.

Despite his shocking finish Walsh finished the Festival in informed clothes, as the tip manoeuvre with 3 winners. "He done a integrate of mistakes. It"s a Group One race. No-one does you any favours," pronounced Walsh. "He was in big difficulty after the initial mistake. I couldn"t get a position, couldn"t get him travelling. But he"s all right. I"m all right. We go again an additional day."

That day is a year afar for Kauto Star. The year is pegged to Cheltenham. All he does, all he eats, is geared to this race. Gold Cup day is a westbound trade jam in Oxford 40 miles away, a procession of pinkish limos ferrying well-oiled lads by the heart of England, a alloy of tweed and stiletto, a battering impel by the category divide. And all for the love of the horse, all for the love of this equine at this Festival.

Friday was Kauto Star"s 10th birthday, deliberate a rise in French-bred horses. Racing comprehension has the corrupt in Denman, additionally 10, rising still, given raw-boned Irish chasers lend towards to run on longer. This item adds a new dimension should the adversary magnify in to an additional year. How can it not Kauto Star v Denman IV.

Defeat is piece of the hardness of sport. Continuing the fighting result that has trustworthy to this rivalry, both are asked to stand off the board to conform an additional epic chapter. Let"s leave it there lest they hang it at the at the back of of a compensate wall and have it pay-per-view.