News Round-Up:Kicking King's long-awaited return to the track has been put back to Thursday following the transferral of the Normans Grove Chase to Gowran Park.
The Grade Two event adds further lustre to the keynote Thyestes Chase fixture as it will be the first time Tom Taaffe's dual King George and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has been seen since December 2005.
The Normans Grove was originally scheduled for last Sunday at Fairyhouse but the meeting was abandoned - as was the rescheduled attempt tomorrow as the course is still waterlogged.
Taaffe reported: "He goes to Gowran on Thursday and everything's still going well."
Kicking King's Gold Cup preparation could then include a trip to the same track for the Red Mills Chase on February 16th.
The gelding's name is also among the entries for the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 10th. Last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kauto Star is among four entries from the Paul Nicholls stable. The Ditcheat handler may also run Star De Mohaison, Neptune Collonges and Turko.
Michael Hourigan's Beef Or Salmon and The Listener, trained by Robert Alner, were a respective first and second last year and are again possibles. Other entries include Exotic Dancer, Mossbank, Mister Top Notch and Nickname.
No Full will have the assistance of Barry Geraghty as he makes his first start for Eoin Doyle in the Ellen Construction Thyestes Handicap Chase.
This season, No Full has produced three decent efforts mixing hurdles and fences and is prominent in the betting for the famous Gowran Park event.
However, those starts have been for Tom Foley - he was with Paul Webber in Britain - and the gelding was only acquired by Doyle after finishing fourth in a Grade Two novice hurdle at Naas on January 6th. "I've only had him for two weeks - he was bought just after his last run," said Doyle.
"He's been running well and was third in the Paddy Power Chase over Christmas, so if he could repeat that performance he'd have to have a great chance.
"He seems very well and has been eating well so we're happy. Barry Geraghty will ride."
Benefit Night finished down the field in the Paddy Power but his trainer, Danny O'Sullivan, expects a better show in much softer conditions. "The ground was a bit quick for him at Leopardstown, but he ran well enough until the second last," said O'Sullivan. "The ground will be much more to his liking at Gowran. He's fit and healthy and Barry Cash rides him again."
The Cork trainer revealed that he was considering Benefit Night for the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock on February 16th. "I've given him an entry at Haydock, but we'll see what happens on Thursday first," added O'Sullivan.
