Kauto Star: 'A horse in a million'

More tributes have been paid by those who knew Kauto Star best, after the horse lost his life to freak injuries at home.

Dan Skelton was assistant trainer to Nicholls during Kauto Star's career and he hailed a "remarkable" horse.

He said: "He was a horse in a million. He was a great character who did so much for racing, not just for us when I worked for Paul, and Ruby Walsh, but for the whole racing industry.

"He will always have a special place in the hearts of a lot people as he was a real character that loved the attention.

"He loved the cameras and was just a superstar. Although he will be very sadly missed, and while he is not part of our lives any longer, it doesn't mean that he will be forgotten.

"Winning any Gold Cup is immense but his first one was very special. The moment we knew he was outrageously good was when he won the Old Roan Chase and beat Armaturk on the bridle as that took some doing.

"That was the beginning of what was to be the most famous career in modern day jump racing.

"When people put up targets, he just defied the rules. What he did was just remarkable."

Robert Waley-Cohen, current chairman of Cheltenham Racecourse, and owner of Long Run, one of Kauto Star's old adversaries, described him as "the outstanding horse of our time".

He said: "His record speaks for itself. He was astonishingly versatile, sound and not short of talent. He was the outstanding horse of our time.

"For me his most outstanding performances were when he come back to win the Betfair Chase and King George in his final season having looked like he had gone off the boil.

"The team down at Ditcheat did a great job to bring him back for those wins."

Leading jumps rider Tom Scudamore said: "Kauto Star was the best horse I've seen and ridden against. He was good enough to win at any distance from Grade One races over two miles or a Grade One over three and a quarter he was simply brilliant.

"From his two Cheltenham Gold Cups to his five wins in the King George VI Chases, he was a star and the best horse since Arkle.

"He won four King Georges in a row then when he came third in 2010 everyone thought that was it, but he came back the next year and won. The thing was he had everything, stamina, speed, he was a freak and nothing fazed him.

"Most horses either prefer tracks to the left or tracks to the right, or they'll be better over a certain distance, or only run well on the flatter tracks. Kauto Star could run any race at any track, it didn't matter which course or which distance.

"I remember the King George in 2009, Kauto Star won by a record 36 lengths and I came second on Madison Du Berlais and I remember watching him when he past and thinking 'I've never seen a horse go so well and run so easily', it was an amazing sight."

Ruby Walsh steered Kauto Star to 17 of his 19 victories in Britain and Ireland combined and believes he should go down as one of the greatest National Hunt horses of all time. He said in his Paddy Power blog: "Kauto Star was a superstar and it’s a real shame that his life off the track has been cut short.

"He was a wonderful horse to ride and he gave me some of the best days I’ll ever have as a jocke. He was without a doubt the best chaser I’ve ever ridden – a horse in a lifetime. I’ll never ride one as good as him again. How could you? Just look at his record.

"He was so versatile winning Grade One chases over distances ranging from two miles to three and a quarter miles. To have the speed to burn off crack two-mile chasers but still have the stamina to out-stay top-class chasers in wars of attrition over three miles plus was just incredible. You very rarely get that combination in a racehorse."

Sam Thomas was most famous for riding Kauto Star's great stable companion and rival Denman, beating Kauto Star in the 2008 Gold Cup. However, he did partner Kauto Star to a narrow victory in the Betfair Chase earlier that season.

He said: "It's obviously very sad. It's tragic after all the years of racing at the top level, risking life and limb, and then getting injured in the paddock.

"I have very fond memories of him and I'm very lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. I just count myself lucky to have played a very small part in his career.

"He was a completely different horse to ride to Denman, but he was an amazing horse to ride. "He was so game and gave his all every time. He was a true professional.

"There's not many horses who can go and do what he's done and credit to Paul for mapping out his career. "It's a shame it's ended as it has."

Mick Fitzgerald was lucky enough to ride Kauto Star once during his stunning career, steering him to his first Grade One victory in the 2005 Tingle Creek at Sandown.

He said: "It's very sad. I just want to remember the horse from his racing days, as I'm sure everybody does. He should be remembered as a true champion.

"I had an unbelievable spin off him in the Tingle Creek. He was going round in second gear in one of the fastest two-mile chases of the whole season.

"He was brilliantly trained by Paul Nicholls. To get a horse to win those sort of races so consistently is testament to Paul's ability to get the job done.

"But let's not forget, it was Kauto Star did who did the racing. He dug deep when he needed to and the roar he got after he won that Gold Cup back again showed you what it meant to everybody involved with the horse."

Kauto Star will always be fondly remembered at Kempton, the scene of his record-breaking King George triumphs.

A statue is already in place at the Sunbury-on-Thames circuit, as well as the main bar in the grandstand being named in the horse's honour.

Clerk of the course and director of racing Barney Clifford said: "It's a very sad day and everyone at Kempton wants to pass on their sympathies to Clive Smith and Paul Nicholls.

"When he won that fifth King George, I've certainly never heard a cheer like it and he was great for Kempton.

"He was the first horse to win the King George on the reconfigured jumps track here in 2006 and to we're very lucky to have horses like him and Desert Orchid (won King George four times) connected with Kempton.

"He was a real warrior of a racehorse. He ran over every trip from Tingle Creeks to King Georges and Gold Cups, which is phenomenal really.

"He had sensational ability, but a big hats off has to go to Paul Nicholls, who did a magnificent job of managing that ability and getting the best out of him.

"It was probably a bit unfortunate for him that we had to abandon on Boxing Day 2010. The King George was rescheduled for mid-January and unfortunately he had a cold and was beaten by Long Run, but he actually ran a blinder to finish third considering.

"But for that he might well have won six King Georges."