Kauto Star favored to beat Gold Cup rival Denman

Paul Nicholls' stablemates Kauto Star and Denman go head to head in the Cheltenham Gold Cup yet again on Friday hoping to maintain their trainer's dominance of a prestigious event they have turned into a two-horse race.

While Kauto Star, considered the more talented and elegant gelding of the two, goes for his third victory in four years, tough stayer Denman is out to repeat a 2008 triumph over his next-door neighbor.

One of the most successful trainers of recent years at the Cheltenham Festival, Nicholls is upbeat about Kauto Star's chances of success again, having held him back since winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Dec. 26.

``It is impossible to say he is better than ever as it was such a wonderful performance at Kempton,'' Nicholls said Thursday. ``When he is fit, he is lethal and there is nothing I can say to put anyone off him.''

He was less confident about Denman, which prefers softer ground and unseated rider Tony McCoy in a race at Newbury last month.

``Denman did a very good piece of work at the weekend,'' Nicholls said. ``The more you do and the more you drill him, the better he gets.''

Although there have been plenty of repeat winners of the highlight race of the Festival - a 3 1/4-mile (5.2 kilometer) test of jumping and staying power - Kauto Star is the only horse to win the Gold Cup having lost it the year before and is 4-6 favorite compared with Denman's odds of 4-1.

Jockey Ruby Walsh was in the saddle for his other two triumphs and has also overtaken Pat Taaffe as the all-time most successful rider at the Festival with 27 winners.

The biggest threat in the field of 11 appears to be Imperial Commander, which almost beat Kauto Star at Haydock in November.

Trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, Imperial Commander is a 7-1 shot having twice won other races in previous years at the Festival.