King to rule on his return
Tom Taaffe's smashing seven-year-old produced the performance of his young life at Prestbury Park in March when slamming Take The Stand by five lengths.
He jumped and travelled like the champion he is, confirming the huge impression created previously in the King George at Kempton at Christmas.
Kicking King rounded off a splendid campaign at the Punchestown Festival in April when outclassing Rule Supreme to the tune of an unflattering three lengths.
The year younger War Of Attrition looks easily Kicking King's most interesting challenger now.
From literally the first day he set foot on a racecourse, Mouse Morris' charge has threatened to go right to the top, but things just didn't pan out for him last season.
He did, however, finish on a high note when grabbing Watson Lake late at Punchestown. War Of Attrition is currently rated 29lbs behind Kicking King and that seems too much leeway to make up at the moment, but it will no surprise should the difference narrow dramatically as the months pass by!
Taaffe lifts the wraps off very highly rated Merdeka in the opening Punchestown Event Centre Maiden Hurdle.
The son of Luso could hardly have done his job any better when beating, arguably, his main rival now, Eye On The Ball, by four and a half lengths in a Leopardstown bumper in December.
He has to get the nod, although well-regarded Eye On The Ball, another Morris inmate, could well emerge as a big danger.
The Listed Grabel Mares Hurdle has 15 possibilities, but is readily narrowed down to Queen Astrid and Sweet Kiln.
The nod falls on Queen Astrid, who hinted at a return to form with a creditable fifth in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh behind Clara Allen.
Sweet Kiln is greatly respected. This powerful front-runner has never won over flights at less than two and a half miles, but if the surface was to turn testing then her prospects would be obviously enhanced.
