Waley-Cohen Ready For Rematch

Despite seeing his Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run defeated in a breathtaking race for the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday, Robert Waley-Cohen is already eagerly looking forward to taking on Kauto Star again at Kempton Park on Boxing Day where the two brightest stars of the chasing scene could once again lock horns in what would be a thrilling Betfair King George VI Chase, writes Elliot Slater.

Kauto Star defeated Long Run by eight-lengths at the Lancashire track amid highly emotional scenes as the veteran was swamped upon his return to the winners’ enclosure by a mass of race fans and the media. But despite failing to make a winning return Waley-Cohen expressed his pride in the way Long Run had performed and assured anyone prepared to listen that like last season (when he was beaten on his seasonal bow before going on to win at Kempton and Cheltenham), the six-year-old is expected to come on considerably for the outing and prove a different proposition in the ‘King George’.

Waley-Cohen was fulsome in his praise of Kauto Star and his trainer Paul Nicholls who had clearly trained the former dual Cheltenham Gold Cup and four-time King George VI Chase winner to the minute for his seasonal reappearance, and without wanting to take anything away from what was an outstanding victory Long Run’s owner is sure that his charge will take all the beating back at Kempton’s Christmas meeting. Anyone looking at the Kempton Park Betting odds should remember this.

The Nicky Henderson-trained highest rated chaser in training made a series of errors on the far side on the final circuit that certainly contributed to him coming under pressure before the fourth from home at Haydock, but Waley-Cohen was pleased at the attitude the horse showed to battle back into contention between the final two fences before being unable to stay with Kauto star on the run from the last. Bookmakers still rate Long Run a warm 13/8 favourite to defend his title at the Sunbury track, whilst Kauto Star is now a best priced 5/1 shot, having been available at 20s prior to his historic weekend victory.