”It was strange that Clive Smith only had a short-lived partnership with him. Kauto Star, Masterminded and Royal Auclair were the only three horses he had at Ditcheat, right?”
They had a massive fall out shortly after Kauto’s retirement with neither Nicholls or Smith coming across well regards the situation.
Smith put Kauto back into training again for dressage and he ended up getting badly injured and dying young. I always disliked him after that as no horse deserved a nice easy retirement more than Kauto. He’d given absolutely everything on the track.
I hated the thought of an old warrior like him having to be retrained for dressage.
Nicholls had apparently been charging visitors and tourists to see Kauto in the short time he spent at Ditcheat post retirement. Smith was really angry at this but Paul said all the proceeds were going to charity.
Nicholls had initially wanted Clifford Baker to be allowed to keep the horse but Smith was having none of it so Nicholls told him take the horse away to Breisner for retraining.
Nicholls never forgave Smith after what happened with Kauto and said he’d never train for him again. I’m guessing other top trainers may have shared the same opinion as I can’t remember another Smith owned horse after that period.