IN these days when even crossing the road without incident can be described as ‘awesome’, superlatives should be treated with caution. So let’s just say that Kauto Star, who has left us too early, was a great horse - a truly GREAT horse who reminded us why we fell in love with the sport in the first place.

Locked in its own, inward-gazing world, racing struggles for outside attention. But for a few years, whenever Kauto Star was about to strut his stuff, aficionados found themselves fielding questions from those generally more concerned with share prices, holiday plans and the latest shenanigans in Coronation Street or Albert Square. Good heavens, Kauto even made it big on the Radio 4 Today programme, that bastion of middle England with its slightly sardonic view of anything falling short of world importance.

His record indicates clearly enough that he was the best steeplechaser since Arkle. To those of a certain age, Arkle stands alone, a freak of nature who frightened everyone off, unless they were receiving three lorry-loads of weight. Kauto Star, on the other hand, encountered talented opponents wherever he went and even had one living next door - the redoubtable Denman, who was more than happy to take him on anytime, anywhere.

Scarves were produced, colours worn with pride, neutrals conspicuous by their absence. The Kauto Star-Denman rivalry was one of the very best things to happen to National Hunt racing as that branch of the sport enjoyed a tremendous surge in popularity, a surge that shows no sign of easing off, even today.

Kauto Star won two Cheltenham Gold Cups, of course, though the year Denman, all brute force and aggression, beat him it merely served to underline the fact that his stablemate, though one of the finest champions of the modern era, was better over three miles than three and a quarter. It is often said that no jockey will ever match A.P. McCoy’s achievements in the saddle and it seems just as unlikely that any horse, in these hugely competitive times, will win five King George VI Chases.

Kempton Park, sadly unloved for much of the year, comes alive on St Stephen’s Day and in Kauto Star it had a headline-maker guaranteed to bring the ‘House Full’ signs out of the storage room where they keep the cracked old boards saying J King, J Haine, F.T. Winter and P.F. Nicholls.

Kempton, that flat, angular circuit in need of friends, has thousands of them the day after Christmas and in 2009 they witnessed a performance to equal anything in the annals of jump racing.

The form book is a dry old tome, written by those who prefer cold hard facts to premature adulation. However, what Kauto Star did in the King George that day had veterans of the press room shaking their heads in wonder. Here is what the form book says: “Jumped superbly, led on long run to 3 out, swept clear, magnificent.” How long might it take you to find another ‘magnificent’, supposing you started now with the cup that cheers for company?

Kauto Star was a marvellous one-off, ridden to sympathetic perfection by Ruby Walsh and trained by a man who, for the most part, managed to keep everyone happy as cameras, microphones, journalists from well outside the sports pages and ten a penny experts descended on Ditcheat. We were privileged to witness a wonderful athlete at the peak of his powers and, by golly, we should give thanks that he was looked after by Paul Nicholls.

TOP FIVE PERFORMANCES

1. 2009 William Hill King George VI Chase

Earned his highest official rating of 193 (Don Cossack is top this year on 175) when winning by 36 lengths with the form book comments ending in “magnificent”.

2. 2009 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase

Became the first horse to regain the Gold Cup, reversing the form from the previous year with Denman, winning by 13 lengths.

3. 2010 William Hill King George VI Chase

Just short of turning 12 years, he completed a record five wins in the King George when holding off the previous season’s Gold Cup winner Long Run.

4. 2007 Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase

Completed a perfect season with six wins in a row when winning his first Gold Cup.

5 2006 William Hill Tingle Creek Chase

Two weeks after winning the Betfair Chase he dropped back to two miles and beat the subsequent champion two-mile chaser Voy Por Ustedes by seven lengths.