TRAINER Tom Taaffe reports Kicking King to be “100 per cent” ahead of his big test in the Stan James King George VI Chase on St Stephen’s Day.

A total of 13 horses stood their ground for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park following today’s final declaration stage.

RUBY WALSH has opted to ride Azertyuiop instead of stable companion and second-favourite Le Roi Miguel in Sunday’s Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

Paul Nicholls is to delay a decision on Azertyuiop’s participation in the Stan James King George VI Chase until Thursday morning, when final declarations for Sunday’s showpiece are made.

Edredon Bleu is likely to bid for a repeat win in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Sunday with stable companion Best Mate swerving the race despite being left in at yesterday’s five-day declaration stage.

EDREDON BLEU is likely to bid for a repeat win in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on Sunday with stable companion Best Mate swerving the race despite being left in at yesterday’s five-day declaration stage.

Best Mate is reported to be in top form ahead of his scheduled run in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday week.

PAUL NICHOLLS is still unsure whether his crack two-miler Azertyuiop will step up in distance for the Stan James King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.

BEST MATE has been installed as the 3-1 favourite with sponsors Stan James to land the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St. Stephen's Day.

The most valuable event of the Punchestown Festival, the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup, takes place today.

Beef Or Salmon bids to end his campaign on a high in the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup tomorrow.

Martin Pipe gained another significant success to stretch his lead in the trainers’ championship when Seebald landed the Faucetts For Mira Showers Silver Trophy at Cheltenham today.

Tiutchev foiled First Gold’s attempt to win a third Martell Cognac Cup with victory in the hands of Tony McCoy at Aintree today.

Azertyuiop, trained by Paul Nicholls and ridden by Ruby Walsh, won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham this afternoon.

RACING in Britain looks to have emerged from the freeze-up in time for the majority of today’s meetings to go ahead with no expected problems.

Lei Roi Miguel features among a high-class field of seven declared for the Servo Computer Services’ Ascot Chase on Saturday and trainer Paul Nicholls hopeful of a big run over a trip that should be to his liking.

MICHAEL HOURIGAN will wait and see how Beef Or Salmon goes over the next week or so before committing his stable star to the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday week.

Florida Pearl heads 12 entries for what looks set to be a cracking renewal of the Servo Computer Services' Ascot Chase on Saturday.

BEST MATE remains odds-on across the board to win an historic third Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup following the publication of the entries yesterday.

Best Mate heads the 32 entries revealed today for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, which takes place on March 18.

Edredon Bleu proved a more than able substitute for Best Mate with a memorable victory in the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton Park today.

FRENCH challenger Jair Du Cochet is set to go off a hot favourite for the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on St Stephen’s Day.

Beef Or Salmon will be back in action at Cork on Sunday following a convincing victory at Punchestown last weekend.

Beef Or Salmon will see plenty of action on the run-up to the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup next March after his victory at Punchestown yesterday.

CASHMANS, of the layers on site, were the least impressed with Beef Or Salmon’s satisfactory performance in winning the John Durkan Memorial ’Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Beef Or Salmon, the darling of the Irish jumps scene, bounced back to winning form in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase today.

Beef Or Salmon looks set to have his next outing in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday week.

DEMOPHILOS, runner-up in the 2001 St Leger, is unlikely to make his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse this weekend, said trainer Dessie Hughes yesterday.

Tiutchev, whose comeback behind Hasty Prince in the Tote Silver Trophy at Chepstow on Saturday satisfied Martin Pipe, is set for a return to fences in Ireland next month.

BEEF OR SALMON, a costly failure for many Irish punters at the Cheltenham Festival last month, will be the star attraction at Fairyhouse this day week when he is expected to line up in the featured Powers Gold Cup.

DAVIDS LAD cannot run at Cheltenham today after the Turf Club succeeded in having last Thursday’s court stay temporarily lifted at the High Court in Dublin yesterday.

FLORIDA PEARL is unlikely to make a sixth visit to the Cheltenham Festival after it was revealed that the 11-year-old scoped badly after being pulled up in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Edredon Bleu will face 11 rivals when he attempts to follow up his 2000 success in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival tomorrow.

Nicky Henderson is hopeful of Tiutchev making the line-up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next week.

Nicky Henderson has good news of top chaser Tiutchev, who had to miss Saturday’s feature Ritz Club Chase at Ascot after suffering a bout of colic.

Ascot’s Ritz Club Chase lost much of its gloss when Tiutchev was a shock withdrawal this morning but champion duo Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy were certainly not complaining as Tresor De Mai took the honours.

Tiutchev will miss this afternoon’s feature Ritz Club Ascot Chase after suffering a bout of colic.

Despite the name, there was nothing fishy about the result of Sandown’s big race as Billingsgate continued his fantastic return from the injury list when taking the €65,800 Agfa Diamond Handicap Chase.

Tiutchev returned to his best when winning the opening Elmbridge Handicap Chase at Sandown.

Florida Pearl, winner of the Pertemps King George VI Chase, heads trainer Willie Mullins’ three entries in the Ritz Club Ascot Chase.