Kicking King out of Gold Cup

Kicking King, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2005, will miss the Festival showpiece next week after failing to please connections in a workout this morning.

The ten-year-old gelding had returned to action this season after over two years on the sidelines with leg trouble but owner Conor Clarkson reported the decision to miss Cheltenham was not due to a recurrence of his old leg problems.

´He worked away from home this morning over a mile and three quarters and, while he was reasonable, the work was not of the quality he had been producing and which he was capable of in the past.

´Reluctantly and sadly, Tom (Taaffe), Barry (Geraghty) and myself have come to the decision to miss Cheltenham. The Gold Cup had been his target all along but the plan now is to give him a little rest and hopefully get him to Punchestown next month.

´I have always said that if he runs then it is to be competitive at the highest level. If he shows some sparkle in his work then he will be back but he is not firing on all cylinders at the moment.

On a happier note, Clarkson confirmed that Finger Onthe Pulse will run in the Jewson Novices´ Handicap Chase.

´He also worked this morning and went well. He´s got a nice racing weight in the Jewson, and it´s wonderful to be still going to Cheltenham with a live chance.´