On Boxing Day 2009 at Kempton Park, Kauto Star attempted to win his fourth consecutive King George VI Chase. He jumped well throughout the race and went clear with three fences to jump, then easily drew clear to win by 36 lengths. The margin of victory set a new record in the race, breaking Arkle's 44-year-old record of 30 lengths, and directly leading to the rule change dispensing with the traditional winning distance of "a distance" which had previously been used for wins of more than 30 lengths.
On Boxing Day 2009 at Kempton Park, Kauto Star attempted to extend his winning streak in the King George VI Chase. He performed admirably throughout the contest and took control with three fences left to clear, then cruised to a convincing victory by an unprecedented margin of 36 lengths. This triumph broke Arkle's long-standing record of 30 lengths, prompting a revision to the rules that dispensed with the traditional "a distance" standard for victories exceeding 30 lengths.