2005 Kicking King

Run on good going on Friday, March 18, 2005, the 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup featured 15 runners, but was notable for the absence of defending champion Best Mate, who was withdrawn the previous week after bursting a blood vessel. Additionally, the Cheltenham Festival was extended from three days to four, such that the Cheltenham Gold Cup became the feature race on the fourth and final day.

Favourite at the ‘off’ was the King George VI Chase winner, Kicking King, trained by Tom Taaffe, just ahead of Celestial Gold, trained by Martin Pipe, Strong Flow, trained by Paul Nicholls and Beef Or Salmon, trained by Michael Hourigan. Once underway, Grey Abbey, trained by Howard Johnson and ridden by Graham Lee, made most of the running until approaching three out, where he was headed by Kicking King, ridden by Barry Geraghty.

Take The Stand, trained by Peter Bowen and ridden by Tony Dobbin, briefly challenged at the second-last, but was outpaced in the closing stages, with Kicking King going on to win by five lengths. Take The Stand kept on well for second place, eight lengths ahead of Sir Rembrandt, trained by Robert Alner and ridden by Andrew Thornton, who was placed for the second year running.

Victory for Taaffe – whose father, Pat, rode the legendary Arkle to a hat-trick of wins in 1963, 1964 and 1965 – was the first for an Irish trainer in the ‘Blue Riband’ event since Conor O’Dwyer saddled Imperial Call in 1996. None of the other leading fancies really figured, with Strong Flow and Celestial Gold finishing sixth and seventh, separated by half a length, but a respectable distance behind the winner, while Beef Or Salmon was tailed off when pulled up before two out, having never travelled.

Reflecting on his first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, winning jockey Geraghty said, “I was running away all the time, jumping brilliantly over the last three. Unbelievable – and he [Kicking King] is only seven years old.”