Racing/Fairyhouse preview: Kicking King found one too good for him at Cheltenham but it will be very costly for a lot of people if the same thing happens in today's Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.
The Tom Taaffe-trained star went down by a length to Well Chief in the Arkle which was no bad performance considering he put in quite a serious error at the halfway stage.
That indicated that Taaffe's belief he has a stayer rather than a speedster on his hands looks to be correct and although Kicking King is tackling two and a half miles over fences for the first time the trip should be to his benefit.
"I've always thought he is a horse that would appreciate going two and a half or further so the trip shouldn't be a problem," Taaffe said yesterday.
"He had a hard race at Cheltenham but he is in good form and I'm happy with him."
Kicking King's old rival, Central House, opposes again after losing his rider at Cheltenham and going down to Kicking King in the Leopardstown Arkle.
The form book says that Central House should find Kicking King just too good again and instead there will be quite a lot of interest in the reappearance of Nil Desperandum.
This one's 14-length demolition of the opposition in the Drinmore over this course and distance left Frances Crowley's horse as the shortest priced Irish contender for the SunAlliance for some time.
Leg problems ruled him out of the festival and after a long break, and over a trip that should be now short of his best, Nil Desperandum's day may have to wait for another while.
Power Elite missed out on the Triumph Hurdle after scoping badly just days before the Cheltenham juvenile championship.
A Grade Three triumph at Leopardstown and a narrow defeat of his stable companion Wild Passion here indicated the ex-French grey would have been a significant challenger at the festival.
Noel Meade has decided to pitch Power Elite against older horses in the Grade Two Novice Hurdle but the former Stakes winner on the flat is a hardy type who still looks to be improving in his new career.
Royal Alphabet brings a 133 rating to this while Green Belt Flyer is also one to examine. However, Power Elite can notch one for the youngsters.
Macs Joy is 6lb higher in the ratings after his controversial "win" at Leopardstown in February when he was thrown out by the stewards for causing interference.
An appeal to the Appeals & Referrals Committee didn't change things but if he can hold on to a victory in the Grade A handicap today it will be appropriate consolation.
It could be a very good day for the Noel Meade camp with Fable holding a decent shout in the handicap chase and Augherskea, runner-up to Knocknobooly at Gowran, looking a bet in the bumper.
