Kicking King out for season

Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King has joined Harchibald on the sidelines and will miss the rest of the season after suffering a strain in an upper tendon.

The shock news came yesterday just 24 hours after the latter was all but ruled out of the Champion Hurdle, and Tom Taaffe's blue riband holder may not be back on the track until next Christmas.

He had been the 7 to 4 favourite to retain his crown in March.

"He has strained his tendon and on veterinary advice, myself and his owner Conor Clarkson have decided the horse will not run in the Gold Cup," said Taaffe.

"I am not certain but I think it happened in Sandown when he won the King George.

"Nothing showed up for two days, but we were watching him and thought he had just banged his leg until we got it assessed.

"He has been scanned intensively by my vet Jimmy Kelly in Naas and the strain is in the upper third of his tendon, which is good news. If it was at the bottom it can be difficult to get them back, but they can often recover well from upper strains.

"I would hope to give him walking exercise, but he will definitely not be back this season.

"His target is now the 2007 Gold Cup. He has had good healing powers in the past and I would hope he has a similar response to this.

"I'd like to think we would have him back on the track next Christmas with a view of then going to Cheltenham."

Barry Geraghty has ridden Kicking King to 11 of his 12 career successes and hopes Taaffe's charge will be able to return at the peak of his powers.

"Kicking King and Moscow Flyer are a class apart from the rest and it is very disappointing to be without one of them for the rest of the season. Hopefully he will come back as good as ever," he said.

After disappointing at Haydock in the Betfair Chase, Kicking King returned to winning ways to beat Monkerhostin by a neck and land back-to-back wins in the Stan James King George VI Chase at Sandown on St Stephen's Day.

He had been ruled out of last year's Cheltenham showpiece at one stage after scoping dirty.

Taaffe announced he would miss the Festival less than three weeks before the race, but the Old Vic gelding recovered in time to take his chance and a new star was born.

Beef Or Salmon is the new 5 to 1 favourite to make it fourth time lucky in the big race having been cut from 10 to 1. His trainer, Michael Hourigan, said: "I have just heard about it, but that is the thing with horses - you just don't know."

Beef Or Salmon was trimmed in the ante-post lists last week following his third Lexus Chase win, and is now being prepared to return to Leopardstown on February 12th. "He has come back from from Leopardstown in good order and I'll get him ready for the Hennessy now," Hourigan added. "He might be a shade better on softer ground, but I really don't think it matters to him."

Kingscliff disappointed in the King George when making a mistake and eventually being pulled up, but owner Arnie Sendell reports the nine-year-old to be back in good form. "I suppose we will be near enough favourite now, but you don't get any money in your pocket for that," said Sendell. I feel sorry for Kicking King's owner and trainer, but racing will always be full of ups and downs. We have had Kingscliff checked over and he seems fine. We have still got no idea what really happened that day, but it was uncharacteristic of him to make such a bad mistake.

Monkerhostin came agonisingly close to lowering Kicking King's colours at Sandown and is down to 13 to 2 from 10s with totesport to land jump racing's most coveted prize.

Sarah Hobbs, wife of trainer Philip, said: "He didn't surprise me the way he stayed on up the hill at Sandown. He's always been a very strong finisher when he is running well. He will probably have one more race before the Gold Cup, in the Aon Chase at Newbury. It's almost exactly a month before Cheltenham so we think the timing would be just about right."

CHELTENHAM GOLD CUP BETTING: (Coral): 5-1 Beef Or Salmon, 11-2 Kingscliff, 9-1 Monkerhostin, 12-1 Ollie Magern, War Of Attrition, 14-1 One Knight, 16-1 Take The Stand, L'Ami, 20-1 Celestial Gold, Cornish Rebel, Iris's Gift, Joacci, Royal Auclair, 25-1 bar. (Cashmans): 4-1 Kingscliff, 5-1 Beef Or Salmon, 7-1 Monkerhostin, 12-1 L'Ami, Lord Transcend, 14-1 Royal Auclair, Take The Stand, Cyrlight, Forget The Past, 16-1 Cornish Rebel.