King can take second Gold Cup
Tom Taaffe's imposing seven-year-old produced the performance of his life at Prestbury Park in March, taking the biggest prize in National Hunt racing with any amount in hand.
He was cantering all over his rivals from a long way out and it was always only a question of when Barry Geraghty pressed the button.
Geraghty, tired of holding onto Kicking King, let him roll going to the third last and Taaffe’s charge strode clear in the straight to score by five lengths.
Kingscliff and Rule Supreme are two interesting rivals and the selection will have to run close to his best to deal with them.
Kingscliff missed the Gold Cup, having worked flat on the lead-up to the race, but is reported back on song.
He ran a cracker on his only outing this season, runner-up behind Kicking King in the King George at Kempton at Christmas, and is likely to be far better suited by this track.
Rule Sepreme has the ability and the engine to go close, but I still harbour doubts about his jumping in a true-run contest.
Blazing Liss gets the nap to take the Bewleys’ Hotels EBF Mares Hurdle for the John Kiely yard.
Her technique still leaves a bit to be desired, but she’s getting there, and is down in class, following her third to Justified and The Railway Man at Fairyhouse.
Missed That, hugely impressive at Cheltenham, is the one to beat in the Paddy Power Champion Bumper.
He put up an extraordinary performance then, failing to settle for a lot of the journey and still finding enough to beat De Soto and subsequent winner, Rasharrow.
