King cut for Festival Challenge

Both Coral and Ladbrokes have cut Kicking King’s price for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival after he won at Punchestown this afternoon.

Tom Taaffe’s six-year-old took the Buy Your Punchestown Annual Members Badge Novice Chase by a distance from Houdunnit, justifying his starting price of 2-7 favourite.

Coral responded by trimming his price to 10-1 from 12-1 for the Festival race while he is also a 10-1 shot with Ladbrokes.

“He is a horse we’ve always liked and he looked very well today so we now go 10-1 from 16-1 for the Arkle,” said Ladbrokes’ Balthazar Fabricius.

Irish Independent Arkle Trophy betting:

Coral: 7-2 Thisthatandtother, 5-1 Caracciola, 10-1 Kicking King, 12-1 Le Duc, Central House, 14-1 Our Vic, Lilium De Cotte, Non So, 16-1 Chauvinist, Ned Kelly, L’Ange au Ciel, Polar Red, 20-1 Fota Island, Westender, Santenay, Bal De Nuit, 25-1 Atum Re, 33-1 bar.

Ladbrokes: 7-2 Thisthatandtother, 7-1 Caracciola, 10-2 Kicking King, 12-2 Central House, Our Vic, 14-1 Non So, 16-1 Le Duc, Ned Kelly, 20-1 Chauvinist, Polar Red, Westender, 25-1 Bal De Nuit, Fota Island, Glenhaven Nugget, L’Ange Au Ciel, Our Armageddon, Santenay, 33-1 bar.