Kauto Star heads 29 horses competing for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The seven-year-old, who recently won the AON Chase at Newbury, will face Exotic Dancer, who has already taken part in three contests at Cheltenham this season, and Robert Alner’s The Listener.

“The totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup obviously revolves around Kauto Star, who is rated 12lb superior to his nearest rival, Our Vic,” Kieran Packman, Timeform’s communications manager, said. “In the last 20 years, only two horses, Desert Orchid and Carvill’s Hill, had pre-Cherltenham form on a par with that which Kauto Star has shown.”

Concerning Kauto’s jumping flaws, Packman explained that, although they exist, such errors didn’t stop outstanding talents like Captain Christy and Dawn Run from winning the Gold Cup.