Sandown report: Kicking King brought a seasonal smile to his supporters when holding Monkerhostin's late push and landing his second King George VI Chase at Sandown Park.
Laid low since injury saw him defeated at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance, Tom Taaffe slowly nursed the seven-year-old back to health. And the trainer's patience and hard work was rewarded with success as Kicking King - still lacking something in fitness, according to Taaffe - saw off his rivals with a typically polished round of jumping.
Barry Geraghty's mount swept into the lead after the second-last and stayed on gamely at odds of 11-8.
Monkerhostin ran a blinder and was catching the winner all the way up the run-in, while Impek kept on to finish a further five lengths away in third.
Ollie Magern had set a good early pace and remained in front until headed by Impek just after halfway. However, Kicking King always had the principals well in sight and loomed large on the outside before taking the lead two from home, the field having bypassed the Pond Fence on account of the low-lying sun.
The Conor Clarkson-owned winner had looked likely to go on for an easy success but all the while Tom Scudamore - a late deputy for the injured Richard Johnson - was creeping away behind the leaders on Monkerhostin (22-1).
And when the young rider produced Philip Hobbs' charge on the outside over the final fence, suddenly the race was back on and it took a photo-finish to confirm the Irish raider had held on by a neck and registered his first victory since Punchestown in April.
The race was a disaster for Kingscliff, who was sent off a well-backed second favourite having beaten Kicking King in the Betfair Chase last time out.
A bad mistake at the 10th fence with a circuit to go saw Tony Dobbin having to shake his mount right up to keep him in touch and from that point he never got back in the race, eventually being pulled up on the home turn.
William Hill offer a best price of 9-4 about Kicking King managing another back-to-back triumph when going for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham in March (Coral just 5-4) and Taaffe had only words of encouragement for punters tempted to take that price.
"I know that some people didn't think I was being truthful when I gave excuses for what happened last time at Haydock," said the trainer. "But it was only a few days after the race that I realised just how sore he had been and how low he was. He was very sorry and off his food.
"I've been a bit cheeky rushing him back from Haydock to get him ready for today and I'd hope he'd be a better horse again come March."
Feathard Lady stormed to the forefront of the Champion Hurdle picture as she extended her unbeaten run to seven under a peach of a ride from Ruby Walsh in the Christmas Hurdle.
Walsh never had an anxious moment on the 6-4 chance as he completed a double following the earlier success of Hoo La Baloo on his first day back from a shoulder injury sustained at the end of November.
So impressed were the bookmakers by the stylish display of Colm Murphy's mare that she is as short as 5-1 (from 16s) for the Champion with Coral.
* Four of today's fixtures in Britain are subject to morning inspections - including the Coral Welsh National meeting at Chepstow. Sub-zero temperatures and widespread snow flurries are forecast, which has put the meetings at Wetherby, Huntingdon, Leicester and Chepstow in jeopardy.
