King Facing Friday Workout Kicking King will continue his preparation for the Stan James King George VI Chase on Boxing Day with a serious piece of work on Friday morning. Trainer Tom Taaffe reports last year´s Gold Cup hero to be back in good spirits after the seven-year-old suffered a foot injury when finishing third to Kingscliff in the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month. Kicking King had two nails from his shoe pierce his hoof wall during the race which left him 'very sore' on his left hind leg. 'As things stand he is good,' Taaffe told At The Races. 'He did a little bit last Tuesday and will do some more on Friday. 'We are starting to step it up now and Friday is a more serious piece but he was a full nine days when he came back from Haydock when he was very sore and down and I didn´t realise at the time how sore his foot was. 'I am not trying to make excuses but I have enough reason myself to feel there was something to annoy him but he is bright and well now and Friday will be his first serious piece of work. 'They are not machines and they don´t talk so when something hurts them we have to try to find it out, and luckily we did.' Kicking King will be bidding for back-to-back wins in the King George after surviving a final-fence blunder 12 months ago to beat Kingscliff by two and a half lengths.? PA Sport
