Arkle date for Butterfly

News round-up: Like-A-Butterfly, the desperately disappointing favourite for the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase on St Stephen's Day, could be ready for a return to Leopardstown in the Arkle Trophy next month, writes Brian O'Connor.

Blood tests taken on the Christy Roche-trained mare the day after she was pulled up revealed a blood disorder that looks to explain her poor run.

"The vet, John Stafford, puts it down to that," said Roche. "It doesn't seem to be a big thing and, depending on how she responds to treatment, I wouldn't rule her out of the Irish Arkle."

Veterinary tests immediately after the race on Sunday showed up nothing, but another Roche-trained runner that day, Martinstown, was found to be "clinically abnormal" after a poor run in the maiden hurdle.

* Tom Taaffe reports the Stan James King George VI Chase hero Kicking King to be in "cracking form" after his St Stephen's Day heroics.

The six-year-old really came of age with a two-and-half-length defeat of Kingscliff at Kempton, although Taaffe said the horse was a little bit stiff after the race.

But that minor niggle now seems to have disappeared and Taaffe is delighted with the condition of his stable star.

"The horse is in cracking form today. You should have seen him this morning, he was bouncing out of his skin. He's not stiff at all," he said at Leopardstown.

Kicking King was having just his fourth run since graduating from the novice ranks at Kempton, having comprehensively beaten subsequent Lexus Chase winner Beef Or Salmon on his previous start.

Taaffe has ruled out a crack at February's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown and he plans to head straight for Cheltenham.

The trainer remains undecided, however, as to whether to go for the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Daily Telegraph Chase over the shorter trip. He added: "I will make that decision in the first week of March."

* Your A Gassman, brought down in the Feltham Novices Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day, has come out of that reverse unscathed and is expected to return to action at the end of next month.

The gelding looked to be travelling ominously well at the time of his departure in the race won by Ollie Magern.

His trainer, Ferdy Murphy, said: "We have to think he was unlucky and would have been in the shake-up, but I am pleased to report that he's flying and in great order, although I am reluctant to nominate another race for him until I have spoken to his owner, who is in Bermuda.

"The one thing I can say is that he's the best I've had for a long time."

The disappointment over Your A Gassman was more than made up for later that day when Truckers Tavern landed the Roland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby under Keith Mercer.

Murphy is anxious for Mercer to keep the ride when the horse next runs at Uttoxeter in the new year, and he added: "I am convinced he's a horse who goes better on a flat track and Keith will, all being well, ride him again."