Kazzene A Kempton Cracker!

               Kazzene wins at Kempton on Saturday under A P McCoy

The stable enjoyed a very nice winner at Kempton on Saturday when Kazzene landed the juvenile hurdle.  It looked to be a decent race on paper with three good ex-French flat recruits in the line-up (including the ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle) and despite not jumping the most fluently, he stayed on well to win by 1 1/2 lengths under A P McCoy.  He looks sure to benefit for the experience and is now prominent in many Cheltenham Festival markets. He looks to have a big future and I am delighted that owner Terry Neill, who has been a supporter of the yard for many years, looks to have another nice horse on his hands.

There were quite a few people who left Kempton racecourse disappointed on Saturday after the King George VI Chase.  Kauto Star did not run his race and failed to make it a historic fifth success in the race...could it be the end of an era?  He didn't travel as well as he normally does and seemed to be struggling from a long way out.  I know he was found to have bled after the race, but it just seems to me that he has lost a bit of pace.  I am sure the A P bashers will now be out in force, as well as those calling for Kauto Star's retirement - I am sure connections will do what is best for the horse, he has won over £2million in prize money and owes connections nothing at all.

Personally I hate to see great champions carry on when they are past their prime - boxers are probably the best example of this.  In sport I think that it is important to know when to call it a day and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to recapture his form.

That should not detract from the winner, Long Run who put up an impressive performance to notch up his second course and distance success under Sam Waley-Cohen.  He seems to find those conditions ideal and being a young horse still, he looks sure to be a major force in these races for some time to come.  I just wonder how on earth the horse managed to get beaten from 10-5 in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November?!