King in 'super form' - Taaffe

Tom Taaffe has high hopes that Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King can end his campaign on a winning note at Punchestown tomorrow.

The seven-year-old will be bidding for a fourth Grade One win when he lines up for the Guinness Gold Cup, in which he faces a fascinating clash with British raider Kingscliff.

Kicking King was an impressive winner at the Festival on his last start and he also took the King George VI Chase and the John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Robert Alner’s Kingscliff chased him home at Kempton on Boxing Day but missed the Gold Cup, having failed to satisfy his trainer in a piece of work.

Taaffe reports his stable star to be in top form ahead of tomorrow’s three-mile-one-furlong contest, and he is not worried about the prospect of testing ground.

“Kicking King is in super form and has had a trouble-free preparation,” he said.

“The ground should be perfect for him even with the forecast rain, and he has won on heavy before.

“He had a fortnight off after Cheltenham before we put him back into work and we are hopeful of a good run.”

Alner is hoping the extra furlong tomorrow, along with a more testing track, could help Kingscliff reverse his two-and-a-half-length Kempton deficit.

“As long as he runs up to form we won’t worry too much about beating Kicking King. The extra furlong will definitely help us and, to be honest, Kempton wasn’t really our track,” he explained.

“A sharp, fast track doesn’t really suit but there are so few opportunities that we had to run him there.”

The going at Punchestown is currently soft, but Alner would not mind a little more rain.

“A drop of rain overnight would be perfect but it doesn’t matter too much to him,” he added.

“We have been happy with him and we will have to see what happens tomorrow.”

Willie Mullins’ Rule Supreme will be on something of a retrieval mission after an unfortunate early exit in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

The nine-year-old is a useful dual-purpose performer having won the Irish Hennessy in February, but he came to grief at the second flight last time after being hampered by Westender.

Rule Supreme felt the effects of that mishap according to Mullins, but the County Carlow handler is pleased with his condition now.

“The ground is what he likes and the small field will also be to his liking, so we will take our chance,” he said.

“I haven’t schooled him recently – we don’t bother with that.

“He was a little bit stiff and sore after Aintree, but has come right now.”

Just six runners go to post, with the Francois Doumen-trained First Gold, winner of the race in 2003 and third last year, taking his chance along with Arctic Copper and Pizarro.

Guinness Gold Cup, totesport bet: 8-11 Kicking King, 3-1 Kingscliff, 4-1 Rule Supreme, 14-1 First Gold, Pizarro, 100-1 Arctic Copper.