Walsh hoping Kauto is right choice in Gold Cup

RUBY WALSH is hoping he has made the right decision in sticking with Kauto Star as his ride in next month's Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Speaking at the press conference to mark the launch of the Irish Racing Post in Dublin on Monday, Walsh said "Decision time for my Gold Cup ride came a bit sooner than I had hoped it would.

"I would have loved to have ridden Denman in the Aon Chase and to see how Nacarat (fourth behind Kauto Star in the King George VI Chase) gets on in the Racing Post Chase before having to make a choice between Kauto Star and Denman.

"It's always easier to make decisions whenyou have all the available information in front of you, but I had to make a decision last week and having won two Gold Cups, four King Georges and a host of other good races on Kauto Star, in the heart and the head, I suppose I was always going to side with him.

"They are two exceptional horses and there is probably only a good jump between them. It is only my choice and I've made wrong choices in the past, but the Festival is still five weeks away and, like the horses, I haveto get there in good shape. So I'm not going to get too worked up about the choice I've made, or other choices I will have to make, this far in advance."  

Reflecting on Sunday's racing at Leopardstown on and Cooldine's neck defeat by Joncol in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, Walsh added: "The doubt about Cooldine was that he might be that bit short of match practice and that proved to be the case. 

"But he showed good improvement from the Lexus Chase and, knowing him, he is going to improve a good bit more. But he will need to, going in against Kauto Star and Denman at Cheltenham."