Kempton’s feature novice chase on Boxing Day is to be permanently run as the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.
Formerly the Feltham Novices’ Chase, the three-mile contest was staged for the first time with its new title last year in honour of the now-retired Kauto Star, who won the track’s King George VI Chase an unprecedented five times, the last of which came in 2011.
The news was released by the British Horseracing Authority in conjunction with details of the review of the novice chase programme in Britain initiated last year, with further revisions announced following consultation with trainers.
The trial ran from October 1, 2012 until the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, with the objective of addressing the trend of declining field sizes in novice chases.
The BHA said the trial achieved this objective as novice chases produced an average field size of 6.8, compared to 5.6 for the same period the preceding year.
In addition, races attracting fewer than six runners were down from 62 per cent to 43 per cent.
