Kicking King may well have been off the track for 759 days but he ran a cracking race on his return at Gowran Park this afternoon in the Normans Grove Chase, and traded at 1-5 in running on Betfair in finishing a gallant runner-up to Nickname.

On ground softer than he’d have liked for his comeback run - and over a trip well short of his best - Kicking King, who has been matched at a high of 64-1 on Betfair for the Gold Cup, led his two rivals for most of the way around and was still traveling well before a terrible blunder at the second last fence appeared to have knocked the wind out of him.

To his credit, he and jockey Barry Geraghty managed to survive that blunder and jumping the last it was very much all to play for, as the 1-4 favourite Nickname appeared to be struggling to get on terms.

Indeed, Nickname himself traded at 11-1 in-running.

However, on the run to the line it was Martin Brassil’s long odds-on favourite who just got the better of the 2005 Gold Cup winner by a length and a quarter, with Newmill (who traded at 1-2 in the race) running his best race for some time back in third.

The story of the race on Betfair

1.     
Nickname trades at 11-1 in running en-route to victory.

2.     
Kicking King trades at 1-5 in running.

3.     
Newmill trades at 1-2 in-running.

Cheltenham antepost reaction on Betfair:

1.     
Kicking King is now 17-1 on Betfair for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham (from 25-1).

2.     
Nickname is now 20-1 for the Champion Chase (from 14-1)

3.     
Newmill is now 22-1 for the Champion Chase (from 28-1)