Time to hail the King once more
All eyes will be on Ireland this week as Kicking King is due to begin the defence of his Cheltenham Gold Cup crown at Punchestown.
Trainer Tom Taaffe bypassed an alternative engagement in favour of the Daily Star Chase and interest in the seven-year-old’s return is going to be huge.
Added to the draw of the reigning champion, Mouse Morris has also indicated his Cheltenham pretender War Of Attrition could run.
Either way it will be a fascinating contest which will really ignite the National Hunt season.
Aintree, home of the fearsome Grand National fences, also opens its doors again with a two-day fixture on Saturday and Sunday.
The Listed Molyneux Novices’ Chase featured the eventual Arkle first and third, Contraband and River City, last season and that race is the pick of the first day.
Sunday sees the Grade Two Wigan Chase, a contest won by the ill-fated Farmer Jack in 2004 before he went on to further glory in the Aon Chase and Racing Post Chase.
The Aintree executive will be hoping for a decent turn-out for these two well-supported features.
There is still plenty of action to enjoy on the Flat though with Doncaster’s Racing Post Trophy a big draw for racegoers in South Yorkshire.
Classic contenders are often given a late test in the mile event and this year’s Vodafone Derby hero Motivator set out his stall when landing the Group One race 12 months ago.
Pattern-race action is also on offer at Newbury with the Stan James St Simon Stakes and the Stan James Horris Hill Stakes the highlights of a two-day meeting.
