13 Facts About Kicking King

Kicking King was a National Hunt racehorse trained in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland, by Tom Taaffe.

Kicking King was ridden in all his races over jumps by Barry Geraghty.

Kicking King won a bumper at Leopardstown on his first appearance on a racecourse in January 2002.

Kicking King started his campaign with a win in the Grade 2 Gowran Park Champion Chase and was then beaten into second place by favourite Beef Or Salmon in the JNwine.

On Boxing Day 2004, Kicking King started as favourite in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park.

Kicking King had a comfortable lead at the last when a bad mistake nearly unseated his jockey but he still won by two-and-a-half lengths.

Kicking King then went on to win the Gold Cup at the 2005 Cheltenham Festival, followed by the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Kicking King won his second King George VI Chase on 26 December 2005, when the race was held at Sandown while Kempton Park Racecourse was being refurbished.

Kicking King returned to the racecourse in January 2008, finishing a close second to Nickname in the Normans Grove Chase.

Kicking King went on to contest the Punchestown Gold Cup but was pulled up.

Kicking King made another appearance in a chase at Punchestown, where he was 2nd of 4 runners behind War Of Attrition.

Kicking King went to spend his retirement with the living legends at the Irish National Stud in County Kildare.

Kicking King died on 21 March 2023, at the age of 25.