I wouldn't be so provocative Bar 
though thanks anyway and I suppose I'd be lying if i said it had never felt like the thread needed splitting into two divisions at times. 
I must confess that having returned to the case in point (Which Way De Solzen) I hadn't appreciated that his 20 - 21F runs had equally been the subject of less than searching pace. Unfortunately, I don't have my own figures to hand, and don't particularly fancy back calculating them, so will rely instead on the TS - RPR analysis;
20 - 21F
TS RPR
114 158 = -44
113 149 = -36
109 158 = -49
120 148 = -28
The first three of these are BJK figures, and the nearest one (a difference of 28Ibs) he lost. All of sudden I think there might even be grounds for wondering if he's going to be vulnerable to a true pace at 21F on a stiff track in a grade 1 chase. The RyanAir looks as if it could be particularly competitive too, and there's few hiding places in this sort of company. My best guess is that he could well be right on the edge of his opertional optimum.
It might be worth digging out the Betfair Chase again and trying to work at what point you think the first non Kauto horse went past him? If he gets a moderate to decent pace in the RyanAir he should be ok, but if he gets a searching one, I think we could well see him hanging on for grim death coming up the hill. In many respects it might even look a bit like his World Hurdle victory, where he benefited from the non participation of Injured Drever, and only just hung on from a horse who'd finished 7th in a Champion hurdle (RPR - 151) under Johnny Murtagh.
I should perhaps say as well, (although it risks diversion) where did this Londop myth come from? And why have so many people seemingly adopted it as gospel without (I assume) checking it through? I can't find anything in the figures to suggest he wouldn't have come anything other than last in the Lockinge.
