The Press clamours for a super horse, but Kauto Star is not yet that.


He is impressive in his paces and this has carried off prizes for him on park tracks despite his tendency to make a hair-raising error towards the end of a race. Such an error on this track under pressure and faced with quality challengers would prick the bubble. But are there any quality challengers? Last year’s winner, War Of Attrition, is injured; Beef Or Salmon has never ‘put it in’ on this track and the ground has gone against last year’s third, Forget The Past, and, theoretically, against The Listener and My Will, though this pair are young pretenders and we don’t know everything about them.

Also, there are horses in this that – on form  - shouldn’t be here: Bob Bob Bobbin, for example, is rated 30lb inferior. Exotic Dancer has been a big improver but was beaten eight lengths by ‘Cato’ in the King George, and when L’Ami got within a neck of ‘Cato’ at Newbury, it was with the help of a 10lb advantage. I have two ideas about the race: Exotic Dancer has won no fewer than four times at Cheltenham, and the track could make the difference. Secondly, State Of Play has been forgotten since he won the Hennessy Gold Cup. He has to be fresh; acts on any going; staying is clearly his game, and Hennessy winners have done the double before (four times).

After all the defectors, we still have a big field which suggests that trainers feel that Kauto Star is worth taking on. If this happens in the market, you could have a ‘lay and back’ situation. But I will content myself with an each-way bet in a tricky year. Trainer Evan Williams has been hailed as the potential new star of the jumps stables and State Of Play would establish his credentials.

At the overnight prices State of Play is 13/2 with betterbet.com.