Paul Nicholls' Kauto Star served up a festive treat to rank himself alongside Desert Orchid with a third straight win in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

The Boxing Day cracker has seen plenty of dual winners, with Kicking King, One Man and The Fellow all racking up consecutive victories.

Wayward Lad was a triple winner but only 'Dessie' managed the straight hat-trick in the late 1980s, until Kauto Star swept aside any hint of a decline under Ruby Walsh.

Ditcheat trainer Nicholls' multiple Grade One winner had met with defeat on three of his four previous outings.

However, the 2007 Gold Cup hero was always travelling sweetly, and after being joined by Albertas Run turning for home, he quickly shrugged him aside to overcome his trademark final-fence blunder and score by eight lengths.

Nicholls said: "This is great for the horse. He has been an amazing horse for us – three King Georges now, Betfair Chases, Gold Cups, Tingle Creeks – he has done it all.

"I think horses like this should get more respect and not be knocked all the time. He is great for racing, pays people's wages and we should respect what he has done.

"I have said that I made an error of judgement running him at Haydock. He wasn't at his best that day and it wasn't Sam Thomas' finest hour, but I knew he was back to his best today.

"In last year's Gold Cup he didn't run lethargically or below form. He ran a better race than the year before when he won it, and if Denman hadn't run then he would have won the race nicely.

"Denman is the only horse he has met in the last couple of years who has been better than him."

Nicholls added: "He won't run again before the Gold Cup and will probably just have the one run again before next year's King George.

"I am going to look after him and not run him so often. I relish him taking on Denman again and we have Neptune Collonges in there too."

Ladbrokes halved Kauto Star's Gold Cup odds to 2-1, while William Hill trimmed him to 5-2 and Coral offer 3-1.