Stan James King George VI Chase

Kauto Star is 4-5 with one firm for the Champion Chase, even though the Betfair betting - he is currently 13-1 on the exchange to win the 2m crown at the Festival - suggests he is about a 7-1 chance to even take in the race. Even after his latest demolition job on the two-milers in the William Hill Tingle Creek yesterday, there is little doubt that the 6yo is now set to target the country's leading staying chasers once again, in the King George and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and the betting suggests he will sweep them aside, just as he did in his 17-length Betfair Chase victory last month. He probably didn't have to be at his best to beat Voy Por Ustedes by seven lengths at Sandown, but that Haydock victory saw Timeform rate him a 184 and no other chaser can live with him on that evidence. Timeform's Jim McGrath said: "Kauto Star is comfortably top-rated by Timeform at the three distances he has competed at this season and connections look to have an exceptional horse on their hands. "On Saturday, he only had to run to a rating of 169 to win as he did, although we have him top-rated over 2 miles at 184. As an indication of his superiority over that distance, the Champion Chaser, Newmill, is on a mark of 165. "Over three miles, Kauto Star is also rated 184, with current Gold Cup holder War of Attrition on 171. "Over two and a half miles, Kauto Star is rated 176, the mark he achieved at Aintree, 8lbs clear of next best Racing Demon on 168." So little wonder he is only 5-6 on Betfair to win the King George, though it is surprising that he is still on offer at 7-2 on the exchange for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Those quotes suggest that the chaser is in with a superb chance of winning his connections the firm's £1m bonus for winning the Betfair Chase, the King George (or Lexus) and the Gold Cup. "We better start considering hedging our million pound liability, because I can't see a horse in training capable of beating Kauto Star," said Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin. "Although the Champion and Ryanair Chase have been muted as possible Festival alternatives, they would surely only enter the scenario on heavy ground. And that is a 10-1+ chance on recent Festival evidence - much to the annoyance of our Chief Financial Officer."