Gold Cup hero Kicking King can enjoy another successful British raid today by capturing the inaugural running of the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock as he sets out on his bid to win the inaugural Betfair Million by winning the Haydock prize, the King George and the Gold Cup.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright believes it is "odds-on" racing will go ahead despite the forecast for temperatures to dip sharply overnight.
"There will be a precautionary inspection tomorrow at 8am. We are forecast frost tonight when it is due to get down to not worse than minus four. We had a minus five last night and we could have raced today. We are odds-on to race," he said yesterday.
That's good news for Tom Taaffe's exciting seven-year-old who has been a wonderful servant to his connections, scoring three times in just five starts over the smaller obstacles.
Chasing, however, was always going to be the making of him and he is a class act over fences, winning four times last season, including a scintillating five-length victory in the Cheltenham blue riband last March.
He duly followed up with a comfortable Grade One success at Punchestown back in April, but he was turned over when odds-on for his most recent start at Punchestown and was outpaced at the last by War Of Attrition, who franked the form with a win at Clonmel on Thursday.
Kicking King will have come on a bundle for that run and an impressive victory today will put the King George winner on track to defend his Gold Cup title.
Bidding to maintain his unbeaten status, Echo Point could be very hard to beat in the Gordon Plant Memorial Newton Novices' Hurdle.
Originally trained in Ireland by Ger Lyons, for whom he won a decent Fairyhouse bumper, Echo Point is now part of Nicky Richards's smart team and began his career over hurdles at Sedgefield last month.
Granted it was only a low-key race that day, but there was nothing ordinary about Echo Point's performance as he made all and won by 24 lengths. Apart from a slight mistake at the third-last flight, he jumped really well and left the impression that following-up would be a formality, so he looks the sort to be supported until his limitations are eventually exposed.
A quality field go to post in the totesport Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, including Impek.
Trainer Henrietta Knight has a tremendous recent record in the race, with Edredon Bleu winning four times in a row before the ill-fated Best Mate completed a nap hand for the stable in 2002.
Impek has been a wonderfully game and consistent sort over fences, securing his fifth chasing success at Aintree last month when making all in impressive fashion in the Old Roan Chase.
Clearly on very good terms with himself, Impek looks sure to run a big race and warrants support.
