Injury rules Kicking King out of Gold Cup

KICKING KING, the warm ante-post favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, will miss the race.

A visibly upset Tom Taaffe revealed the news at Cork Racecourse yesterday. “He has strained his left-fore tendon. He was scanned intensively this morning (Monday) and, on veterinary advice, Conor Clarkson (owner) and I have decided he will not run in the Gold Cup,” said Taffe.

Kicking King was also declared a non-starter about three weeks prior to winning last year’s Gold Cup, having scoped badly.