Kicking King poised to take Gold Cup chance
The Co Kildare-based handler will still wait until the first week of March before announcing a target for his King George VI Chase winner, but has been swayed by the running of the Aon Chase at Newbury last weekend.
Gold Cup hopefuls Strong Flow, Celestial Gold and Sir Rembrandt were overhauled by Farmer Jack in that Grade Two event, after which Taaffe said: “The Aon was a good race but I don’t think I saw anything to frighten Best Mate.
“As I’ve said before, we’ll sit and wait, but if Best Mate looks like the only one, then we’ll probably go there.”
Keen Leader may miss the Gold Cup, according to owner Adair Catherwood.
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained nine-year-old, who finished a distant sixth to Best Mate last year, has not been seen out since finishing third to Horus on his seasonal debut in the Edward Hanmer Memorial Chase at Haydock in November.
Keen Leader is one of the many horses at Jackdaws Castle who have been hit hard by a virus, which caused the powerful Gloucestershire yard to close down.
O’Neill is primed to send out his first runners since St Stephen’s Day this weekend, but according to Mrs. Catherwood, Keen Leader, the winner of three Grade 2 chases, is not yet ready.
“I know Jonjo is going to have a few runners shortly, but I think he will be lucky if he has his horses ready for Cheltenham and Keen Leader is unlikely to have a run before then,” she said.
“I am a bit in the dark as I haven’t spoken to Jonjo for a few days, but I think time is running out if he is to go for the Gold Cup.
“That has always been his target and he has promised so much, so if he’s okay, we will still go there.
“If he doesn’t, there’s always Punchestown in April. We’ll run wherever he can get a run.
“We’ll leave it up to the trainer. He knows best, but I know that he hasn’t been entered in anything just yet.”
