03.04.08 - THE GRAND NATIONAL, RACING AT AINTREE

'I got Kauto tactics wrong,' says Nicholls

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls said he got the tactics wrong after Kauto Star was beaten a nose by Our Vic in the Grade Two £160,000 totesport Bowl Chase.

Although Our Vic made the early running, Kauto Star was kept prominent and challenged the winner throughout the final circuit before kicking on off the final bend.

However, he blundered daly at the second-last and was a sitting duck when producing a tired leap at the last. Our Vic rallied and collared him near the line.

Nicholls admitted he had told Walsh to keep Kauto Star handy and added the jockey was "steaming" following the defeat. The trainer commented: "Ruby said 'I should have hung onto him and normally I have the balls to do what I want', but I got it completely wrong by telling him to sail on when he would have been better off getting a lead. I said if you're going well let him bowl along, but he felt he should have had a lead and not been so positive, but I'll take the blame. Ruby said he knew turning in that I'd got it wrong and now he's mad with me, but that's racing.

"I said to him, 'more times than not we get it right', but he's steaming with me now. The horse was idling a bit in front and it's a long home straight, but I was wrong on the day. It's not the end of the world, but as Ruby said, there's a difference between winning and losing.

"All credit to Our Vic who has run a cracking race - the best horse on the day won. Kauto always makes the odd mistake although on the whole he's brilliant. Going to the last ditch with his ears pricked he missed the jump out, but that's just him. We'll take him home, freshen him up and you'll see him back next autumn.

"You don't win the races he's won without being a very good horse. I got the tactics wrong but he'll be back next season."

Nicholls had the consolation of knowing second-place prize money took his haul for the season past the £3,000,000 mark, and when asked about the tactics for his brilliant five-year-old Master Minded in tomorrow's Melling Chase, he laughed and said: "I'll leave that to Ruby."

Bookmakers quickly lengthened the price of Kauto Star for next year's totesport Gold Cup, which he won in 2007, and many shortened his stablemate Denman, who won the race last month. Cashmans go 7-1 Kauto Star from 4-1, Paddy Power and Coral offer 5-1, while Totesport and William Hill go 9-2.