RACING: The former Gold Cup hero Kicking King could have just one comeback run before attempting to regain his Cheltenham crown in March but Tom Taaffe remains confident his star performer remains a potent threat to the new kids on the block, War Of Attrition and Kauto Star.
Leopardstown's Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase over two miles at Christmas is the date for Kicking King's return to action from the leg injury that has seen him on the sidelines since winning last year's King George VI Chase at Sandown.
Since then War Of Attrition has filled the role of Gold Cup holder while Kauto Star burst onto the blue riband scene with a spectacular first attempt at three miles at Haydock last weekend.
Kicking King remains as low as 6 to 1 for the Gold Cup in some ante-post lists, however, and his trainer is confident the horse can return to peak form after his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
"I'm dead happy with him and he is on course for Leopardstown on the 27th," Taaffe said yesterday. "I'm also happy he can be at least as good as he was before he got injured. There are plenty out there who will tell you that they never come back but all I can say is that that is not a concern for me."
The Co Kildare trainer added that no decision has been taken about another possible race after Christmas and that Kicking King could well go straight to the Gold Cup in March. "If he does race between Christmas and Cheltenham, it will just be the one race," he said. "And if he doesn't, then we will go straight. It has yet to be decided."
Kauto Star is a best priced 6 to 4 favourite to take the Irish horse's King George crown at Kempton next month and currently disputes favouritism with War Of Attrition for the Gold Cup. Like most observers, Taaffe was impressed with the Paul Nicholls-trained horse's defeat of Beef Or Salmon in the Betfair Chase.
"Anyone who wasn't impressed must not have been watching the right channel. It was a fantastic performance," he said. "I don't like making comparisons but I thought it was a similar type performance to the one Kicking King gave in the King George before he won the Gold Cup. If we hadn't made that mistake at the last, we would have won by 20 lengths."
Taaffe added: "This is November, though, and as we found out last year, a lot can happen in the build-up to a Gold Cup. We've all got to get there first. Kauto Star looked very good at Haydock but I'd say the ground there was on the good side for Beef Or Salmon and yet he ran a bloody good race."
With ground conditions at Newbury for Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup looking to favour a challenge by the Willie Mullins-trained Kerry National winner Bothar Na, the former champion trainer looks set to run Homer Wells in Sunday's Troytown Chase at Navan.
Both horses feature among the 28 entries remaining in the €100,000 feature with the other Irish Hennessy entry Southern Vic likely to stay in Ireland and carry topweight.
Last year's winner, Prince Of Tara, is on course to try for a Troytown repeat while the leading staying hurdler, Kerryhead Windfarm, is an entry from the Michael Hourigan stable.
Aran Concerto, described by Noel Meade as potentially the best he has trained, could try and make up for an unlucky run at Naas last time in Sunday's Grade Three Bank Of Ireland Monksfield Novice Hurdle.
Potential opposition for Aran Concerto includes the wide-margin Cork winner, Footy Facts, and Le Toscan among an entry of 15.
Sunday week's Grade One Royal Bond Hurdle at Fairyhouse will be sponsored by the bookmaking firm Bar One Racing who have negotiated a five-year sponsorship of the race that has been won in recent years by the likes of Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Newmill.
The latter could make an earlier than expected return to fences in next month's Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown after his return to action last weekend in the Morgiana Hurdle.
Newmill's trainer, John Murphy, said: "There is an outside chance we would consider the Tingle Creek if it looked like we were getting goodish ground at Sandown. But it's much more likely his next run will be over hurdles. He is really a good ground horse and he will probably have a similar campaign to last season and run in the December Festival Hurdle at Christmas before going back chasing."
