RACING:Kauto Star's first appearance at Kempton in retirement coincided with the most gripping finish since the era of the five-time winner as his old foe Long Run claimed a dramatic second victory.
The pair ended on a one-all draw in their meetings in this race and it looked as if Sam Waley-Cohen’s mount would have to settle for second again, as last year, until the determined amateur conjured one last effort to stick Long Run’s neck past Captain Chris at the line.
Whether a professional would do better than Waley-Cohen on Long Run will always remain a matter of conjecture, and the 15 to 8 favourite did not jump well in the main, but horse and rider plumbed the very depths of their reserves through muddy and foul conditions to win by a neck.
Waley-Cohen and Long Run have already provided a first Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2011 for his owner, the jockey’s father Robert, and for distinguished trainer Nicky Henderson, who saddled a 76 to 1 four-timer on the card including the Grade One Christmas Hurdle with JP McManus-owned Darlan.
Home straight
The seven-year-old’s reputation, however, looked to be fading with a third-placed finish in the last Gold Cup and a fairly transparent defeat to Silviniaco Conti on his comeback at Haydock, but that all looked forgotten as Waley-Cohen cruised towards the fifth from home.
He clouted that one, allowing the weakening front-runner Champion Court a chance to slip through the back door, and Captain Chris and Richard Johnson to sneak even closer and mount their own challenge in the home straight.
Last year’s third was in front before the last fence and Captain Chris was better at it than Long Run, but sheer resolution saw the former champion regain his lead on the run-in.
“He was so brave,” said Waley-Cohen. “I had to keep asking him – I asked him early and maybe I asked too much as he was tired but so brave. This is his fifth year of competing at this level and he means an enormous amount to us.
“That was racing at it’s best for me. I can’t put it into words.
“It was probably only when we passed the post that I thought he’d won. Dickie (Johnson) had gone past me, but I could feel him rallying.”
Considering the Gold Cup, for which sponsors Betfred cut Long Run to 6 to 1 behind his stablemate Bobs Worth at 9 to 2 favourite, Waley-Cohen said: “It’s going to be a different type of race at Cheltenham – I hope it’s not as testing or as wet and the earlier races here have made a difference to the ground.”
Henderson’s haul puts him right back on Paul Nicholls’ tail in the hunt for the trainers’ championship.
He said: “It was a brave call to go on when he did and it was the right call to make. It was a battle out there today and not the best ground for any of them.
“We had it in our minds that Bobs Worth would run in the Cheltenham race (Argento Chase), and this guy would have the time to go to Newbury (Denman Chase). We’ll have to discuss things, it doesn’t have to be like that. It has been a great day, and with Sam and that horse to come back like that, it was brilliant.”
