Gold crown is fit for King

It's the Gold Cup, Jim, but not as we know it. One of the most turbulent build-ups in Cheltenham history has seen tomorrow's Festival showpiece endure more ins and outs than the hokey cokey.

Best Mate was in for his fourth consecutive success in the race before crashing out with broken blood vessels last week. Kingscliff came in as favourite only to slide out after working badly, while Rule Supreme was in then out after Willie Mullins decided to go for the World Hurdle instead.

The most depressing withdrawal of all came when Farmer Jack collapsed and died on the gallops yesterday, but Kicking King can emerge from the chaos to prove himself a worthy heir to Best Mate's Cheltenham crown.

Tom Taaffe's Irish raider has endured a series of strange ins and outs of his own in the weeks leading up to this £350,000 contest. Twelve months ago his trainer looked on wistfully after seeing Kicking King beaten by Well Chief in the Arkle Chase and wondered aloud about the prospect of a Gold Cup bid in 2005.

Fearful of creating excessive expectation, Taaffe played down those comments later, but 12 months on he returns with arguably the most exciting young chaser on either side of the Irish Sea.

A Grade Two success at Gowran Park paved the way for a good second to fellow Gold Cup contender Beef Or Salmon in a Grade One event at Down Royal before Christmas.