Kicking King

S

Steepler

At the Start
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
36
Location
Borussia Park
Looking forward to see the Champion coming back. But I'm very doubtful that he can return at full strengths. Normaly they never come back at full force after a tendon injury. Let's hope for the best!
 
Lets hope he puts in a clear round with an encouraging display and above all he comes home safe and sound. I’d be surprised if he could bustle up Nickname today however.
 
Lovely to see KK back on a racecourse, :clap: have to echo Steepler though , most arent the same horse after tendon injuries , but lets see how he fares today , hope he gets home safe and well..... :)
 
Any comments on Earth Magic beating Sweet Kiln? I didn't see the race but I had Sweet Kiln down as the Irish banker for Cheltenham. Bad run from her or did she simply not stay?
 
I was listening on Betfair Radio, sounded like she was held up in 4th or 5th, came there to win the race and either didn't get there in time or got outstayed at the end.
 
Hard to say it was stamina that beat her but she didnt really set throughout the race. Winner was well on top at the end.
 
Originally posted by Melendez@Jan 24 2008, 02:35 PM
Any comments on Earth Magic beating Sweet Kiln? I didn't see the race but I had Sweet Kiln down as the Irish banker for Cheltenham. Bad run from her or did she simply not stay?
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neither
beaten by better horse, nothing more than that.
 
Wow, great come back for The King! Much better than expected. Jumped very well except for the second last fence. Good second place! It's great to see him back but we have to wait how he is after that race.
I remember Looks like Trouble coming back after a tendon injury. He ran a good race and won, then started in the Gold Cup and was retired immediately after the race.
 
What is also worth remembering is that Looks Like Trouble was in with every chance of winning the Gold Cup before his injury reoccurred. As I understood it at the time, it was something that could have happened at any time, be it that race or one in the future.

So who knows, maybe KK does have another big chase in him. He still doesn't have a prayer of getting close to Kauto Star in the Gold Cup.

Good to see him back though.
 
Well impressed as well, never expected him to do it that well. Ruby had to be pretty hard to win, and one would hope that after the bounce factor will kick in norty there is some improvement to come. Been very negative about his comeback but can´t wait for more, and will have all fingers crossed!

:clap:
 
It's impossible to know what to make of the form. It was at least adequate (in terms of keeping him in the Gold Cup picture) and may indeed have been a fair bit more.

My suspicion is that Nickname ran a bit flat and has lost the pace to be a really good 2 miler in any ground. However there is no marker in the race to give any real idea whether Nickname ran a mid 160s race or a mid 150s.

Coming towards the second last KK looked like he might just pull away from them again. OK you knew he probably wouldn't in the circumstances but if you were watching a random 3 horse race and stopped the video turning into the straight, 9 out of 10 people would pick KK as the winner. Some really nice jumping mixed in with a few careful jumps and only one error.

Hopefully now there will be no sore leg reports in the next couple of days. He hit the second last pretty hard, but it didn't seem to bother him too much.

All in all I'd go along with heartwarming.
 
Tom Taaffe after the race

"He ran a cracker for his first run back over two miles and one (furlong).

"He was a bit rusty and short of match practice and you could see that two out and at the first ditch.

"It shows how good a horse he is to come back. When you bring one back after that length (of time) it is a journey of a 1000 miles and it begins with one step.

"He might come back here for the Red Mills in three weeks, the Hennessy is in 17 days but that might be on the tight side.

"After the Red Mills it is four and a half weeks to the Gold Cup, which is fine.

"I wouldn't want to bottom him out over three miles in the Hennessy and he gets an 8lb allowance again in the Red Mills.

"The relief will be in two or three days but I'd be surprised if he had a problem as we have been very careful with him."

:D Deleighted for horse and connections... very good comeback run..
 
Yes I think its an ideal race for him.

Interesting they are talking about the Irish Hennessy for Nickname.
 
Great to see Kicking King back and that he retains ability. I think that even if he gets back to his gold cup winning form then Kauto Star will still destroy him though.

I love Kauto Star and believe that he will prove himself to be one of the all time great National Hunt horses (if he hasnt already proved that).
 
I think his return (for now) should be looked at as nothing more than that…a come back and not in the context of a Gold Cup. Lets just be happy to have him back in one piece and in good form. We can worry about Gold Cups etc after his next run assuming all goes well.
 
Exactly.. We will know alot more after the Red Mills..
I just hope they DONT find something wrong with KK in the days ahead..
 
I backed Nickname (as I though it was buying money) so feared he would become the 4th 1/4 shot to be beaten in Ireland in the past 6 weeks or so.

I just saw the interview with Tom on ATR and he says Geraghty believes the horse is back to his Gold Cup winning season's best.

Considering the conditions were in Nickname's favour (ground and trip) KK's performance is meritorious.

Having said that, as KK had the speed to finish runner up in a hot Arkle, you wouldn't have expected him to find today's task too testing.

Should he have beaten Nickname, a horse who's form upon close insepection is very easy to pick holes in? Especially in receipt of 8lbs?

Its a tough ask as The Brig suggests to expect KK to live with the likes of Kauto Star. I hope he can dine at NHs top table once again but I would have to see more than today's form to consider him backable.

Talking about the Brig, presumably you would consider KK a prime contender for "bouncing" next time up?
 
Should he have beaten Nickname, a horse who's form upon close insepection is very easy to pick holes in? Especially in receipt of 8lbs?
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I think Nickname is about as solid a Grade 2 animal as you could find, and can win Grade 1s when everything falls right, so a fit and healthy KK should be expected to beat him handily giving him 8lbs.

However, in the context of his injury, long layoff and obvious fitness issues, looking like a possible winner at the last and making Nickname work hard for his win is surely matching the high-end of reasonable expectations.
 
Great to see Kicking King back and that he retains ability. I think that even if he gets back to his gold cup winning form then Kauto Star will still destroy him though.
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Agree with every word and i wonder whether they will swerve the GC this time around and look at Aintree or Punchestown
 
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