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my miss storm cat 01-16-2008 11:30 AM

The Return of the King
 
Come home safe.

From Sporting life.....

KING READY FOR RETURN

By Ben Linfoot


Kicking King is ready for his return to action at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Tom Taaffe's 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner hasn't been seen since the December of the same year following injury but is now set to return in the Normans Grove Chase run over two miles.

He is also entered in a listed hurdle at Naas on Saturday, however that is only a precaution should Fairyhouse be called-off due to the wet weather.

Taaffe told Sportinglife.com: "We are in the job of getting horses to the racetrack and trying to win races, it's part of our daily operation and we are looking forward to getting him back now.


"Allowing for the weather it looks like Fairyhouse will go ahead now and if it does we will run him there."

Taaffe is concerned that it would be too much for his stable star to run in a three mile chase on heavy ground on his return, which is why he returns over the minimum trip.


He continued: "It's all about getting him back into a competitive position for the Gold Cup and this is a stepping stone towards it. The ground is heavy in Ireland and I don't want to run him over three miles on it.


"This is an ideal conditions race in the programme to run him in.


"Heavy ground is possibly less than ideal but there is nothing we can do about it - that's why he runs over the shorter trip."

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 05:19 AM

Tough luck for Tom Taafe.

Fairyhouse was abandoned on Sunday, but because of the importance of the races that day, they managed to rearrange it for this Wednesday....... but unfortunately, they have fallen foul to the weather again.

Awful, awful weather for Britain and Ireland this last week. Usually we would be expecting meetings to be called off through frost, but not waterlogging.

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 09:55 AM

Hot off the press.

The race in which Kicking King was due to make his comeback in has been rescheduled yet again.

It's now due to take place at Gowran Park on Thursday. Track officials are pretty hopeful that the meeting will go ahead as planned.

Lets hope the meeting does get the go ahead, so we can see this good horse back on a race track after so long.

He will face Nickname, who will probably be the favourite and likely winner. I hope Kicking King has a safe jump around, which should bring him on tremendously for the rest of the season.

my miss storm cat 01-21-2008 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoChanceToDance
. I hope Kicking King has a safe jump around

That's really all I ever hope for him.

Don't see him winning but he's kinda like Beefy... you just have to hope they make it through.

Gotta love the old men.

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat
That's really all I ever hope for him.

Don't see him winning but he's kinda like Beefy... you just have to hope they make it through.

Gotta love the old men.

Are you getting mixed him up with someone else? Kicking King is all class, and if he was fully fit after such a long time off the track (very doubtful) he probably have the class to win this race. He's not really like "beefy" I wouldn't have said. Beef Or Salmon is good, but not Kicking King class, in my opinion.

However, for thursday, I'm guessing the owner and trainer are just hoping for a clear round and some much needed 'match practice'.

I'm desperate for him to do well because, if I'm honest, I'm getting sick of the Kauto Star Vs Denman debate. Love Denman to bits, but even I'm getting sick of hearing about this pair.

my miss storm cat 01-21-2008 11:26 AM

No, not mixed up but i always kinda wonder if they can stay as good as they were.

I don't expect him to win here to be honest.

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat
No, not mixed up but i always kinda wonder if they can stay as good as they were.

I don't expect him to win here to be honest.

No, I can't see him winning here, either. But that is only because of the lack of a recent run and the distance being too short for him.

I still think he will retain plenty of ability. Tom Taafe hasn't rushed anything with him. A lot of trainers would have rushed things with him and risked ruining him for good.

I think he is very classy. I have no doubts that when he is fully gfit again, he will be capable of winning at the highest level once again.

brockguy 01-21-2008 12:57 PM

they should run every racemeeting in ireland at thurles. I dont think that ever gets flooded no matter how much rain they get.

Nickname is nigh on unbeatable at 2miles in heavy going.. Hes unbelievably good.

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockguy
they should run every racemeeting in ireland at thurles. I dont think that ever gets flooded no matter how much rain they get.

Nickname is nigh on unbeatable at 2miles in heavy going.. Hes unbelievably good.

But isn't Thurles offically the worst track in England and Ireland in terms of facilities?

I remember Ashforth's comments on going to Thurles and if you read between the lines he was itching to say "just knock it down" :D

I agree, two miles on heavy going usually means a Nickname win. I still think Kicking King will run well, though and I'm confident he can retain the same level of ability that he had before the injury.

Two miles on heavy ground would probably be the opposite of what KK really wants.

brockguy 01-21-2008 01:17 PM

yeah Thurles is an awful awful track. Ive been to some bad ones around the world but yeah, Thurles is by far the worst Ive been to and it was last by a good distance in Ashforth's articles.. Ive even been inside the jockeys room which was shocking. Just everything about it is a disgrace but for some reason, the track cant get flooded but it is nearly always Heavy..

NoChanceToDance 01-21-2008 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brockguy
yeah Thurles is an awful awful track. Ive been to some bad ones around the world but yeah, Thurles is by far the worst Ive been to and it was last by a good distance in Ashforth's articles.. Ive even been inside the jockeys room which was shocking. Just everything about it is a disgrace but for some reason, the track cant get flooded but it is nearly always Heavy..

It's often the real bad tracks that can cope with whatever the weather throws at them, which is rather ironic considering we as racing fans aren't too bothered if the bad meetings get abandoned.

I've gone past Wexford, which looked to be the same sort of track from the outside.

NoChanceToDance 01-24-2008 08:26 AM

I'm over the moon with that performance. If he had have been any fitter at all, he would have won. He's just gone a pushed Nickname at his own game all the way to the line. A great performance by Kicking King.

The king is back, alive and certainly kicking.........

Replay:

http://play.www.atr.servecast.net/pp..._01_24_04_1415

my miss storm cat 01-24-2008 10:45 AM

Wow, good for him!

Anyone fall, or can i watch the replay?

NoChanceToDance 01-24-2008 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat
Wow, good for him!

Anyone fall, or can i watch the replay?

No fallers, only three runners, but a really good race to watch.

brockguy 02-16-2008 08:10 AM

only 3rd today.. bounce factor IMO..

my miss storm cat 03-05-2008 10:49 AM

Ah well.....

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...CING_King.html

my miss storm cat 11-20-2008 09:28 AM

Retired...

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...King_Snap.html


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