The Paddy Power Gold Cup2009 (Entries)

granger said:
He will have had to have summered well to get my money again
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Absolutely Granger. He will have to improve and deliver on the his 'potential'. Very much last chance saloon with me and this horse, and although he is my selection against the field, it is not with a massive degree of conviction i must say.
 
I backed Tranquil Sea last year at Cheltenham and I will be surprised if he wins as I don't think he jumps well enough. He has plenty of talent but will be better suited to smaller fields and flatter, easier tracks.

I've already said i'm keen on Chapoturgeon as his Jewson was very impressive and Nicholls may have laid him out for this. Ballyfitz is another who has performed well at the track before and should go well for the early season form merchant Twiston Davies. This is not a race I ever pick the winner of though!
 
rorydelargy said:
He clearly has, based on his cosy win last Saturday.
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That's an interesting point. I still have my doubts about Tranquil Sea (having been a strong supporter for most of last season) when push comes to shove. His Naas run didn't prove very much to me given that McNamara didn't have to get to the bottom of him by any means.

He is almost certainly a better horse on better ground and quite possibly on a very decent mark, but I'll believe this horse will get up the Cheltenham hill when I see it tbh.
 
I agree with Euro's point about Barber Shop only giving 3 pounds to Chapoturgeon, but Poquelin looks almost too obvious for this. He went up for his last win, but looked to me like there was still plenty more to come, and if the ground suits, I think whatever beats him wins.
 
You'd have to think that he's third in the Nicholls pecking order after Poquelin and Chapoturgeon though, Steve. His price probably reflects that fact, as much as anything else.
 
Horse Trainer Weight
Our Vic D. E. Pipe 11st 12lb
Tartak T. R. George 11st 5lb
Knowhere N. A. Twiston-Davies 11st 5lb
Chapoturgeon P. F. Nicholls 11st 4lb
Poquelin P. F. Nicholls 11st 1lb
Tatenen P. F. Nicholls 11st 0lb
Tranquil Sea E. J. O'Grady, Ireland 10st 13lb
Northern Alliance A. J. Martin, Ireland 10st 12lb
Ballyfitz N. A. Twiston-Davies 10st 11lb
Tarotino A. King 10st 10lb
Il Duce Mrs P. Robeson 10st 10lb
My Petra N. J. Henderson 10st 10lb
Bible Lord Andrew Turnell 10st 8lb
According To Pete J. M. Jefferson 10st 7lb
I'm So Lucky D. E. Pipe 10st 4lb
Pop H. D. Daly 10st 3lb
Three Mirrors Ferdy Murphy 10st 1lb
Leslingtaylor J. J. Quinn 10st 1lb
From Dawn To Dusk P. J. Hobbs 10st 1lb
Akilak J. Howard Johnson 10st 0lb
Jaamid N. Meade, Ireland 9st 13lb
Hold Em W. K. Goldsworthy 9st 13lb
Watch My Back Ferdy Murphy 9st 11lb
Gaelic Flight J. Scott 9st 9lb
Commemoration Day G. L. Moore 9st 8lb
Island Life J. G. M. O'Shea 9st 4lb
 
David Johnson top-weight, veteran, won the race before, running to keep the weights down for something else better fancied? Cyfor Malta II, he couldn't, could he?
 
davidjohnson said:
David Johnson top-weight, veteran, won the race before, running to keep the weights down for something else better fancied? Cyfor Malta II, he couldn't, could he?
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An outcome to sink a thousand TTF lines, DJ - much like the year you mention. :D

I actually give a little squeek to Mr Pipe's other horse, who is much further down the weights, and could potentially improve back over 2m4f+.
 
If it pisses down and the ground becomes really testing, I think 25-1 Akilak will look a big price.

If the ground stays reasonable, I think Pop is overpriced at 33-1.
 
NICHOLLS SWEET ON TAT GOLD BID


With rain forecast at Cheltenham this weekend Paul Nicholls might just be having second thoughts over his number one target for the Paddy Power Gold Cup as he bids to win the race for the first time.
Poquelin, Chapoturgeon and Tatenen are set to represent Nicholls, with the first-named widely thought to be the stable first string following an easy win at Prestbury Park on his seasonal reappearance, but soft ground could make it a level playing field according to the Ditcheat handler.
He told sportinglife.com: "The intention is to run them all. It is ground dependent as Poquelin would like decent ground and wouldn't want too much more rain while Tatenen would like it soft.
"We'll keep an eye on the weather forecast during the week. Chapoturgeon is a definite runner.
"On decent ground Poquelin is probably stable number one, but if it came up soft I'm not so sure. Tatenen does like Cheltenham and he loves soft ground, it could make it interesting and there wouldn't be a lot between the three of them."
Tatenen has yet to run beyond two miles, but Nicholls admits it was always the plan to step him up in trip in his second season over fences.
He continued: "Tatenen is crying out for three miles to be honest with you and I'll probably go three miles afterwards. He's definitely wanting a trip so that will be no problem to him at all. "
Sky Bet go 11/2 for the Jewson Novices' Chase winner Chapoturgeon, and 8/1 about the Andy Stewart-owned pair Poquelin and Tatenen for Saturday's race.

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Strange no mention of Chapoturgeon.
 
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