Kicking King imperious in Gold Cup

TOM TAAFFE summed it best of all. “There’s only one word to describe what he has done this season - class.”

Taaffe was referring to stable star and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero, Kicking King, after the imposing seven-year-old had produced an immaculate display to land the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown yesterday.

A couple of weeks earlier, Kicking King had toyed with his rivals at the foot of the Cotswolds and, if anything, this was even easier.