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I love the way you said “to each their own” earlier but you’re still arguing the point.
In order for your 3-1 argument to mean anything, you have to believe that both horses ran to form in each of those races. Kauto fell in one, so we don’t know who would’ve finished ahead of the other that day. In the other two, Kauto was palpably below form- unless you actually believe that he was only a short-head better horse than Neptune Collonges, or a mere nose superior to What A Friend.
And all of their clashes came in the Gold Cup. If they had met four times in the King George, it would have been 4-0 to Kauto.
So your tedious 3-1 argument doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, I’m afraid.
Denman was clearly a very high class chaser. His performance in the 2008 Gold Cup was a devastating display of galloping and jumping and his two victories in the Hennessy were memorable. However, I agree with the posters who have argued Kauto Star was the better horse overall.
While not criticising Denman’s performance, I am not convinced Kauto Star was at his best in the 2008 Gold Cup. Despite his two Gold Cup victories, I believe Kauto Star was not particularly well suited by Cheltenham. He was much better on flat tracks like Kempton, Newbury and Haydock.
OK, he won two Tingle Creeks at Sandown with its uphill finish – but that was over 2 miles. 3m 2f round Cheltenham put much more emphasis on stamina, which suited Denman better.
Kauto Star’s victory in the 2007 Gold Cup was in a steadily run race which turned into more of a speed test that suited him. Even then, Turpin Green was only just behind. He was more impressive in 2009 but I am not convinced it was a strong renewal.
Two great chasers but Kauto Star’s overall record puts him clearly ahead. He also had longevity and raced often – something the “our precious horse can only race two or three times a season” brigade should consider!
The Warwick race where Kauto took that fall is unpleasant watching for me, even now.
The more I know the less I understand.
I realise that arguing the toss about the relative merits of two truly great horses is the lifeblood of racing banter but I do find it all a bit tedious and unedifying: ‘X is better than Y because…’, ‘no Y is better than X because…’ blah blah blah ad nauseam
In the case of Kauto Star & Denman – and I would proffer also that this applies to those great near-contemporaneous two-milers Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop & Well Chief – I prefer to put aside the nebulous ‘who was the greatest of the great’ nit-picking and simply cherish the impression they made on me watching their races
So, with that in mind, I can unequivocally state that over the near-50 years I’ve been enthralled by it Denman’s second Hennessy and his Gold Cup were the most jaw-dropping and spectacular exhibitions of steeplechasing it has been my privilege to experience
To quote a weak-kneed trembling-voiced Jonathan Neesom on RUK after Denman’s Gold Cup “what a fantastic race”
’nuff said
RTB, it was at Exeter. That was the only non-Grade 1 track where he ran at. Never ran at Warwick at all.
Thanks Ruby no idea why I had Warwick in my head
The more I know the less I understand.
Kauto was clearly the classier of the two and much more versatile but I was always partial to The Tank, mainly because of his second Hennessy where he had to give 22 lbs to the 153 rated What A Friend, as it was a throw back to the days of a top class horse carrying and defying a big weight in a handicap a la Dessie & Burrough Hill Lad.
Denman was built for it whereas Kauto not so much and if memory serves Kauto ran in 3 Limited Handicaps only, Monets Garden beat him at Aintree in the Old Roan Chase when in receipt of 14lbs (Kauto had won it the previous year giving 9lbs to Armaturk) and he was also beaten by Monkerhostin in the Haldon Gold Cup when trying to give him 4lbs but those races were all Limited Handicaps.
Here is a fun hypothetical question, Kempton at Christmas, who do you have in the King George…… Dessie or Kauto?
Personally, I side with Dessie….could easily see his front running style putting pressure on (and exposing) Kauto’s tendency to belt a fence at the wrong time.
Here is a fun hypothetical question, Kempton at Christmas, who do you have in the King George…… Dessie or Kauto?
We had that one a few years ago. I’ll try to find it.
There you go:
In the interview with Ruby I alluded to earlier he believes that Kauto was “never quite right” the season after his first Gold Cup win.
Whilst our opinions differ over the merits of the two horses, I totally agree with HDLG regarding the merits of Nicholls and Henderson. Even today, with a lower class of horse the longevity of Nicholls’ chasers is something to be admired.
Thanks Glad – should have realised it would have been a question raised previously.
Morale of the story……check before you type the question.
Glad I did … You then said ” Cool Kauto was better ” this continued the discussion , I then made my point about about i f 2 boxers went head to head and it was 3 to 1 then which boxer is better …. You then talked about a race Denman never ran in .. Not tedious as you say just not relevant , if you believe Kauto is better then fine , however my point is the formbook says different
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
This was 3-1 at Cheltenham. If Denman had run in the same 6 KGs it would probably have been 5-1 or even 6-0 Kauto.
This is why I side with Kauto Star as he was much more versatile. Denman seemed a one trick pony but probably the best at that one trick.
Denman was a brilliant horse but Kauto Star is arguably the greatest National Hunt horse of all time imo. Most will throw Arkle and the likes at me but the pool of top horses was so much smaller back then than they are nowadays. Some of the Gold Cups Arkle ran in were a joke.
Kauto was top dog from 2m to 3m. Denman wasn’t even quick enough to win an RSA hurdle over 2m5f.
If it wasn’t for bad luck Kauto would have an Arkle and Queen Mother on his CV also.
Not taking anything away from Denman’s performance in the Gold Cup but the ground went totally against Kauto and he never jumped with his usual fluidity yet was still closing up the hill, such was his greatness.
The Gold Cups 3m2f is the only G1 where Denman even has a chance against prime Kauto so it’s impossible that he’s the greater horse.
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