Races
KEMPTON SPECIALISTS: Long Run
Long Run won two King George’s at Kempton for Nicky Henderson and is of the finest horses to grace the track
A duel King George winner, Long Run is without question one of the modern Kempton greats following his duo of Christmas successes in 2011 and 2012.
Having started his career in France when winning three of his four starts in Auteuil, the Cadoudal gelding was just four when winning on British debut in December 2009 for Nicky Henderson, in the formerly known Grade 1 Feltham Novices’ Chase – now donned the Kauto Star, one of Long Run’s great rivals.
As if to exact his ability and flexibility, he dropped back an entire mile when taking the Kingmaker at Warwick before finishing third in the old RSA at the Cheltenham Festival.
Another bronze medal followed in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park, before his made the most of his return to Sunbury-on-Thames in his King George debut, dethroning Kauto in the rescheduled event in January 2011.
He beat the same rival, and his legendary stable-mate Denman, in an epic Gold Cup showdown two months later, but was then beaten in subsequent outings by Paul Nicholls’s superstar, including in the King George in what was Kauto Star’s fifth win in the race.
But without the presence of the great son of Village Star in the 2012 renewal, he would confirm his status as a Kempton great with a second win in the race under usual amateur pilot, Sam Wahley-Cohen, seeing off game Captain Chris by a neck.
