Exotic Dancer tries again but Kauto's got his number
Not one for giving up: Exotic Dancer has never beaten Kauto Star but did manage his best runagainst the former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner in the Betfair Chase 12 months ago
But Simpson believes the pair will finish closer to each other than when they last met, at Aintree earlier this year, when 14 lengths separated them. He added: "We struggled with Exotic Dancer in the spring and the horse you saw around Aintree then was not the same horse that ran there last month. He's in as good a shape as he's ever been."
Another old warrior among the six-runner field is Ollie Magern who has taken on Kauto Star three times and never won once. Again he comes to the Haydock event in great form, but seems to find the combination of these fences and the opposition too much to handle.
They can try, try and try again but however fed up they are of seeing Kauto Star's backside, for Exotic Dancer and Ollie Magern that is all they can hope for at Haydock tomorrow.
