Walsh wins Champion Chase on Kauto Star
Kauto Star, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, has won the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.
The former Howard Johnson-trained Killyglen helped forced the early pace with China Rock never far behind.
Mossbank, off the track for 927 days, loomed up large half a mile out but not surprisingly his absence eventually took its toll.
With the race hotting up, last season’s Arkle winner Sizing Europe looked a huge threat to Kauto Star but try as Andrew Lynch might, he could never quite get on terms with the four-times King George winner.
Kauto Star looked to be idling a little after the last but he was kept up to his work to beat Sizing Europe by four lengths with a neck back to China Rock.
