Owner Clive Smith admits to being slightly nervous as his dual Gold Cup hero Kauto Star prepares to take to the racecourse for the first time this season in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The nine-year-old has been off the track since securing the second of his Cheltenham crowns, and will be chasing a third success in this weekend's Grade One following victories in 2006 and 2007.

He parted company with Sam Thomas at the final fence in last year's renewal and Smith has everything crossed that his pride and joy can make it round in conditions which are not ideal.

"It's always a little nerve wracking when they have their first run back, especially when the ground is going to be so testing," said Smith.

"Paul (Nicholls) is very happy with him and we certainly feel he is as good as he was last year.

"I've spoken to the clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright this morning and he is happy with the ground, but it is going to be soft enough.

"They are forecast a bit more rain on Saturday as well so we'll have to see, but we're hopeful he'll handle it."

It is not very often Kauto Star is available to back at odds against, but that is the case this weekend and Smith feels he could represent decent value.

"It's obviously very exciting and I suppose at odds against he is a good price, but I don't think I'll be playing on Saturday," he continued.

"I just want to sit back and enjoy it and hopefully he comes back safe and sound.

"He's won the race twice before and obviously made that mistake last year, so let's hope he can get it right again this time."

Ruby Walsh is back in the saddle for this year's renewal and he is confident that his mount will take plenty of stopping.

"It's a good race but if the Kauto Star that won the King George and Gold Cup turns up, he'll be very hard to beat," Walsh told At The Races.

"The ground will be the same for them all and he won in testing ground at Down Royal last year, albeit in quite an inferior race to Saturday's race.

"Two years ago he went to Haydock on the back of a defeat to Monet's Garden, where he had quite a hard race, so it wasn't an ideal prep.

"Last year he went there and he just wasn't firing. He may or may not have won when he tipped up at the last, but he's fresh and well and seems in great form at home.

"He's won two Tingle Creeks, three King Georges and two Gold Cups - I couldn't pick another horse in the race that could do that.

"I schooled him last week and he was bucking and squealing, so I'd be quite confident.

"I'm looking forward to it and if you offered me a ride in the race, I sure as hell wouldn't swap him."

Nicholls believes the testing conditions will not prove a problem and could not be happier with his charge's present form.

He said: "People talk about this race last year but there really is no comparison as I shouldn't have run him that day, having already been to Down Royal. This year he is fresh and ready to go.

"We're very happy with him and he isn't like Master Minded, who needed the run at Cheltenham last week.

"I suppose you never know how much they will need the run until they actually go, but we are very pleased with where he is at the moment."

Although much of the country has been hit by torrential rain, Haydock appears to have escaped the worst of it, with just two millimetres overnight on Thursday.

Kauto Star has won on soft ground on five occasions since joining the champion trainer, who warned it would be folly to write him off on Merseyside.

Nicholls added: "They've only had the two millimetres of rain overnight and obviously it's going to be soft ground.

"But I don't think it will be too different to how it was when he won at Down Royal last season."