RACING:Ruby Walsh branded Kauto Star a "once-in-a-lifetime horse" after giving him a second totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in three years. Reflecting on Friday's glorious triumph when the Paul Nicholls-trained gelding became the first horse in history to regain chasing's blue riband prize, Walsh revealed that he never once lost faith in Kauto Star.
“It all happens so quick on him to think about his mistakes of the past,” said Walsh. “I know when you are watching on TV you have time to think about that, but you don’t on board. It doesn’t cross your mind.
“He was spectacular on the day, he jumped from fence to fence. Obviously it hurt me last year. I could have ridden Denman and, on the day last year, Denman was just unbelievable.
“Following him, he had all of us on the stretch from so far out. But I always believed in Kauto and I was delighted that he showed everybody that he is the sort of horse I think he is.
“He’s been a once-in-a-lifetime horse for me, three King Georges, two Betfair Chases and now two Gold Cups.”
Walsh, top jockey at the Festival with a record seven winners, also looked back on a famous repeat success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Master Minded in the Kauto Star colours of Clive Smith.
“Master Minded didn’t feel quite as good as last year but this year was probably a better race,” Walsh remarked.
“I wasn’t quite sure how I was going down the back, to tell you the truth, but one thing about Master Minded is that he is rock-solid.
“Even though I didn’t think he was at his best the other day he still won — he’s reliable and he’s honest. He’s a very, very good two-mile chaser.
“The one thing we thought about Master Minded when he arrived from France is that he was a fraction brave, he was standing off his fences too far.
“On his first run in England he stood way too far away from the ditch and landed in the middle of it.
“If you want him to keep popping and popping you have to get him into a rhythm because if you did start to wind him up he might take a chance.”
Walsh just missed out on a rare treble as Celestial Halo was beaten a neck by Punjabi in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
“He ran his heart out. In fairness to Paul, he had him absolutely spot-on,” added Walsh. “He jumped like a stag.
“Obviously he bungled the last a little bit but he tried his heart out and ran an incredible race.”