Kicking King goes for Gold

KICKING KING in and Best Mate out is the latest twist to next Friday’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Tom Taaffe’s Kicking King completed his dramatic return to the Gold Cup picture when scoping clear after exercise yesterday morning. Over a week earlier he had been regarded as a certain non-starter by his handler, after scoping badly. He was immediately put on a seven-day course of antibiotics and Taaffe indicated there would be insufficient time to prepare him properly.

A statement issued by Taaffe yesterday, however, said: “He will be confirmed on Saturday as a runner in the Gold Cup. He has surprised us as to his well-being in all aspects since last Sunday and seems to have put his problems behind him.”