Kauto Star only third as Long Run romps home in King George at Kempton

Nicky Henderson admitted he felt like the man that killed Bambi after training Long Run and Riverside Theatre to be first and second in the King George VI Chase here, with a suddenly vulnerable Kauto Star only third as he tried to win the race for a record fifth time. Kauto Star is now as big as 12-1 for a third success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and there must be a chance that the 11-year-old will be retired before that race comes round in mid-March, though connections said they will not make a quick decision about that. Kauto Star was sent off as the heavily backed 4-7 favourite by a crowd of 15,000, many of whom wore scarves in the colours of his owner, Clive Smith, or waved 'Come on Kauto' placards. But anxiety spread through the grandstand from early on the second circuit as the horse seemed to be stretching for every fence in the effort to stay in touch with the pace set by Nacarat and Long Run. As Nacarat folded in the home straight, it was Long Run who eased clear in the manner that the favourite's fans had come to expect from him. Kauto Star plugged on gamely but his chance was ended by a shocking blunder at the second-last fence from which he did well to recover. An elated Henderson, whose four other winners on the card included Binocular in the Christmas Hurdle, nevertheless admitted to having "spoiled the party". But he was delighted that Long Run, returned at 9-2, had finally made good on the promise he showed when a sensational winner of the Feltham here on Boxing Day 2009. "We've always believed in him and he showed today what he is capable of. He had to come out and do it some time. Since the Feltham, everybody was saying, well, was that a fluke? Where's this talking horse? "But today Sam [Waley-Cohen] has given him a wonderful ride and he got into a rhythm and his jumping was great. I didn't see him put a foot wrong. "Sam was dead right to get him handier than I wanted him to be, to be honest with you. The horse was enjoying himself. The only thing I told him was get into a rhythm. It doesn't matter where you are, as long you're happy and the horse is jumping and enjoying himself. We've done a few things different. [Long Run] couldn't hear the crowd, I can promise you that, because he had ear plugs in." Speculation is bound to persist that Kempton suits Long Run better than Cheltenham, where he has been beaten on both visits. But the horse is now 7-1 second-favourite for the Gold Cup, behind Imperial Commander, and Henderson seemed minded to aim him at that race rather than the shorter Ryanair Chase, in light of the horse's impressive display of stamina today. Paul Nicholls, trainer of Kauto Star, said there could be no excuses, as the horse had had a "brilliant" preparation. "To me, watching it, he was never going to win," he said. "I didn't think he was going that well on the first circuit. The commentator kept saying, 'oh he's cruising', but he wasn't travelling. And it's almost as though he's lost half a yard of speed. He's getting older, isn't he?" Asked about the possibility of retiring Kauto Star, he said: "I'm not going to make decisions like that at the moment. I'm sure Clive and I will talk about it but if he's sound and well there's no reason why he can't run in this year's Gold Cup. "If you're going for the Gold Cup, you don't need to run him again to prove anything, it'd be pointless. If we think he's fit and well enough to go for the Gold Cup, we can do. That's another day, different track and different ground. It might be that a stiffer track will suit him better now." Henderson is the first trainer to win the Christmas Hurdle and the King George in the same season since Fred Winter with Pendil and Lanzarote in 1973, when Henderson was Winter's assistant. Waley-Cohen is thought to be the first amateur to win a Grade One jumps race in Britain since Colin Magnier won the 1982 Champion Hurdle on For Auction. Kauto Star's defeat means that he is likely to share with Desert Orchid the record of four King George wins. It also means that Tony McCoy has the unwanted record of having been beaten in the King George on both Best Mate and Kauto Star, who he was riding for the first time today. But McCoy had three wins on the card, including Binocular, who has now reclaimed his position at the head of the market for the Champion Hurdle, at a best price of 7-2. Henderson said he still intends to give the horse one more prep run, at Sandown on February 5. "We'll stick to the plan, even though the dates have got a bit squashed up," the trainer said. "I think, as AP [McCoy] was saying, he's probably just better off having a run than galloping at home. "I just felt he was getting a touch bored in the last week. That's why I schooled him on Thursday, to snap his mind back. I think he was getting a bit lazy and if I had to keep going all the way to March without a run, I think the same thing would happen. "The gap's close but the gap from [Sandown] to Cheltenham is good. If he's fresh and well in a fortnight's time, that's where he'll go. There's still a little bit to come."