King will rule, says Geraghty
The seven-year-old, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, was beaten 10 and a half lengths into third by Kingscliff and Beef Or Salmon in the Betfair Chase at the Merseyside track last month.
However, trainer Tom Taaffe later reported Kicking King had twisted a shoe during the race and Geraghty thinks that was a major factor in his defeat.
“I didn’t think the shoe was that significant, but I was at Tom’s yesterday morning and we were discussing it. The shoe moved on him and the vets were with him the following morning when he was back home and he was lame and very tender on it - it definitely didn’t help.”
The King George meeting is being held at Sandown this year while Kempton is redeveloped, but Geraghty does not think his mount will be troubled by the switch and believes Kicking King will be hard to beat if back to his best.
“He’s a young horse and if he gets back into form for Christmas he will take a lot of beating in the King George,” added the rider.
“He’s bred to stay, he’s a real National Hunt horse and he’s won on all types of ground - he won the John Durkan on very soft ground last year.
“I don’t see any reason why Sandown should be against him - he’ll love the Railway fences. I think if he’s anywhere near, he will take a lot of beating.”
Kicking King is the 9-4 favourite with William Hill for the King George and the same firm have him a 100-30 market leader in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
