Greatest Racehorses: Kicking King

Outstanding chase Kicking King dies aged 25

Pedigree Details

Sire:Old Vic

Dam:Fairy Blaze

Dam’s Sire: Good Thyne

Breeder: Sunnyhill Stud

Foaled: 10 Apr 1998

Race Record & Factfile

Races:28

Wins:12

Owner: Conor Clarkson

Trainer: Tom J. Taaffe

Profile

Kicking King was a tip-top chaser in his pomp with two King George VI Chases and a Cheltenham Gold Cup on his CV. He ruled the three-mile division in the mid-noughties and enjoyed a real purple patch with four consecutive Grade 1 successes between December 2004 and spring of the following year. A tendon injury robbed him of what is considered the prime period in a career over fences and he was nowhere near the force of old when eventually returning to action for a short spell prior to retirement. Barry Geraghty, who partnered him in 11 of his 12 victories, did not hesitate to put him in the same bracket as outstanding two-miler Moscow Flyer.

2001/02 Season

Kicking King’s career got off to the perfect start when making all in a bumper at Leopardstown in mid-January. He knew his job on the day and only had to be pushed out to get the better of Jericho by four lengths, leading to talk of him being a candidate for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. That plan was shelved in favour of another race under a penalty back at Leopardstown in early March but he seemed unsuited by the heavy ground when finishing a well-held third at evens behind Ardyne Bridge and Shawings, the latter a horse he had beaten comprehensively on debut. Connections felt Kicking King had done enough for the time being and he was put away for the summer.

2002/03 Season

Kicking King ran on five occasions over hurdles, winning three of them as he progressed through the ranks from a debut success in a big field at Naas. He was no match for the battle-hardened Solerina on his next outing but quickly regained the winning thread at odds-on in a minor event at Cork prior to landing a Grade 2 novice at Punchestown by four lengths from Central House. He then acquitted himself really well when beaten ten lengths into second by Back In Front in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Kicking King not only proved he could handle racing on a sounder surface on that occasion but also showed himself to be a first-rate prospect for fences the following season. 

2003/04 Season

It is fair to say Kicking King’s novice campaign over fences was keenly anticipated but it got off to a rather inauspicious start, shaping as if in need of the outing when fifth of eight in Grade 2 company at Punchestown before coming down two out having looked well in command in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas. Barry Geraghty reported afterwards: “I had so much horse under me and would have won by the length of the straight.” Seemingly none the worse following that unfortunate incident, he was turned out again in early January and got off the mark in effortless fashion when dropped in class to novice company back at Punchestown, jumping well and winning by a distance from Houdunnit.

He didn’t have to improve on that effort to make his breakthrough at the top level in the Irish Arkle later that month before settling for second again at the Cheltenham Festival, this time a battling neck behind Well Chief in the Arkle after responding extremely well to pressure. The Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse, where Kicking King stepped up to two and a half miles, was the next port of call and he once more took the silver medal position, collared close home by Hi Cloy under a canny Timmy Murphy ride. A seventh and final outing of the season in the Swordlestown Cup at the Punchestown Festival was perhaps one trip to the well too many in hindsight. He was on his toes beforehand and already headed (though still in contention) when brought down at the second-last following the fall of Colca Canyon.

Major races won

• Irish Arkle, Leopardstown

2004/05 Season

This was Kicking King’s annus mirabilis – six starts, five wins, four of them Grade 1s and two of them the biggest prizes in the sport to establish himself as the leading three-mile chaser around. He looked a horse very much on an upward curve when beating Rathgar Beau with something to spare in a Grade 2 at Gowran Park on his return to action, his first start outside of novice company. He lost nothing in defeat when runner-up to Beef or Salmon on his first attempt over three miles in the Grade 1 James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal in early November, and he exacted revenge on that rival in spectacular fashion back over two and a half miles a month later in the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown.

Those two performances earned him Timeform ratings in the high 160s – Kicking King was now a top-class operator at the peak of his powers with the promise of better to come. He delivered just that on Boxing Day at Kempton with an outstanding effort in the King George VI Chase thanks to a two-and-a-half length defeat of Kingscliff. He had spread-eagled his field from four out and still had enough in the tank to recover from a shuddering blunder at the last (Geraghty blaming himself for the miscommunication) and then avoid a rogue Father Christmas darting across the track on the run-in. An obvious chance to follow up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup was almost derailed by a dirty scope after working badly in a racecourse gallop at Punchestown a couple of weeks prior to the Festival, but, having recovered sufficiently without the need for antibiotics, he was handed the green light to line up in March and dished out a convincing beating to a substandard field.

Given a more conservative ride over the longer trip, he only needed to be ridden out after quickening between the last two fences, beating Take The Stand and Sir Rembrandt by five and eight lengths respectively. Best Mate had been the most notable omission after breaking a blood vessel on the gallops prior to his bid for a four-timer in the event, and Kicking King’s performance on the book was considerably below the level of form he had shown at Kempton. A marvellous campaign ended in a further blaze of glory as he racked up a fourth successive Grade 1 the following month in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup where inferior rivals were once more unable to lay a glove on him as he sauntered home to land the odds from Rule Supreme.

Major races won:

• John Durkan Memorial, Punchestown
• King George VI Chase, Kempton 
• Cheltenham Gold Cup, Cheltenham
• Punchestown Gold Cup, Punchestown 

2005/06 Season

The first half of the new campaign for Kicking King was all about building up to a defence of his King George (staged at Sandown while Kempton was closed for redevelopment) and he suffered two odds-on defeats along the way. The first came in a listed event at Punchestown behind War of Attrition when, not for the first-time, looking like the outing would do him good. He was below his best once more in the Betfair Chase at Haydock behind Kingscliff, where a twisted shoe resulting in a punctured hoof was offered as a plausible excuse.

He just about got it right on the big day over Christmas when scrambling home by a neck from Monkerhostin. Looking in good shape beforehand, Kicking King needed to be pushed along and asked for an effort entering the straight and only a good jump at the last ensured he would just hold on from a runner-up that was finishing strongly. Far from impressive, when all was said and done it equated to a performance some 16 lb inferior to his victory 12 months previously. It was early the following month when shock news emerged that Kicking King would be ruled out for the rest of the season due a tendon issue. “I am not certain but I think it happened at Sandown,” said his trainer. “We were watching him and thought he had just banged his leg until we got it assessed. 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.”

Major races won:

• King George VI Chase 

2008

There was some promise to be gleaned from his much-anticipated comeback at Naas following more than two years on the easy list in the Normans Grove Chase, where he split Nickname and Newmill over two miles and a furlong. It was hoped the following month’s Red Mills Chase at Gowran would allow connections to still entertain hopes of a crack at winning a second Cheltenham Gold Cup. But a comprehensive defeat at odds-on behind useful but exposed pair Ballistraw and Knight Legend was a long way off what would be required for any repeat at the Festival, even after taking into account the trainer reporting Kicking King had suffered a trapped nerve in his back. He failed to complete in his next two outings before the curtain came down once and for all on an illustrious career after finishing a well-beaten second behind old sparring partner War of Attrition at Punchestown in October of that year.

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