Day 26A Kempton Park King George VI Gold Cup

Kempton Park has a watering hole (pub) nearby the racecourse called The Grey Horse. So called because a grey horse won the hearts of the British public by running and winning regularly at this racecourse and he won the King George four times and second once.   Kempton is really close to London, in Surrey, and its Winter Festival feature race is the King George VI Gold Cup.  It is the second most prestigious race to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March in National Hunt racing.     The Queen's Mother would regularly attend Kempton: she was the First Lady of National Hunt Racing, she only owned National Hunt horses, she had some great horses, and won this race named in honor of her husband King George VI.  She never won the Grand National. Her famous horse Devon Loch shyed/spread-eagled itself within 100 metres of the post.

Desert Orchid also won the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1989, which was amazing as the ground was heavy and he was running on a left handed track which he rarely ran on, because he would jump out right.  Kempton is a right handed track.

His name was DESERT ORCHID.  He was the housewife's favourite, (all grey horses are referred to this as women seem to bet on grey horses) and he became known as Dessie!

"Dessie"

He started life jumping hurdles, the smaller obstacles, and in his first race he lay motionless at the last fence, his connections thought he was fatally injured but he was only winded..he never liked hurdles or running left handed, but as soon as he started jumping big fences right handed, he was magnificent.  "Dessie" had a front-running and bold jumping style that caught the imagination of the broader public.

The gutsy grey proved versatile, and he made the King George VI Chase at Kempton his own.

Desert Orchid was retired after the King George in 1991 and made regular celebrity appearances at the racetrack and special events.  He passed away in 2006 at aged 27.   His ashes are buried at Kempton Park, and a few years ago a beautiful white statue of the horse was unveiled at the course.  He will never be forgotten.

Today is Kauto Star's day too...I so hope he can win this race...I just think he will be retired after this race.  But there are so many other horses that are younger.  The same owner has a fantastic horse running called Masterminded...  And Long Run, another top class Gold Cup winner.  Nacarat, loves Kempton, like "Dessie" a front runner, and I would love it to win as I like outsiders and I like this horse too...they're about to run...stopping writing now.

WOW  WOW WOW....KAUTO STAR WON THE RACE, feeling adrenalin, quite shaky listening to the commentary as he ahead 6 lengths three out, and he kept going strongly all the way to the finish.  He has won 16 Grade One races, in comparison his stablemate Denman who only won 4, (but he did have a heart op!).    Kauto has to be the Greatest horse of All Time, I feel so privileged to have seen him myself win his Cheltenham Gold Cup and seen all the love the trainer, jockey and owner has for this beautiful horse.    He will make headline British News tonight.  I should think the fans who are at Kempton today will give Kauto an amazing reception to the winners enclosure.

Kauto - study of his eye

Just heard that Masterminded, the other horse that was owned by the same owner of Kauto Star, a brilliant young horse, sustained a bad tendon injury.  I never heard that he fell, but only that he was  knocked into.  Latest is that it is a career ending injury but he will survive, and be retired.  It still must be a bitter sweet day for all concerned.

Kauto will be commemorated by a magnificent sculptor at Haydock Park, where he won a month ago and I'm sure Kempton will also have some kind of sculpture too.  I'm doing my own painting aswell.  keep watching my blog!