any reason why Poquelin....

because nicholls trains about 4 horses with better gold cup chances and would rather just use poquelin to win some nice prizemoney in the bryanair instead?

Because he can't stay the trip

agree, wont get trip and would be outclassed, witness Ryanair last year, and also defeat behind Monets Garden this season when receiving 1b

regardless of whether Nicholls has 4 other decent stayers in the yard, none of those with the GC as a target are owned by Andy Stewart and he seems desperate to win this race (big bucks will wait til next season) so i just wonder if they will give him an entry.

the race he won today (similar to PP) has been won by progressive chasers in the past that then have gone on to in the gold cup.

furthermore, Nicholls may have one or two others with the ryanair in mind?!

He is a 2m3f horse, end of.

Well he won oer 2m5f today under top weight, so I'd say he's a 2m5f horse

ffs sonko

better from you here CV. Sonko is stealing the dictionary dot com gold award with that post!

Hard to know the horse's best distance but I'd be astounded if it was the Gold Cup distance.  His way of travelling suggests it would be some way short of that, at Cheltenham, at least.

I backed him yesterday, the easier track suited him very well yesterday as paul nicholls told you.

you were lucky if you backed him thinking it was over 2m 3f

ryanair every yr id say

Gotta love Poquelin's consistency. He's a fine horse and deserves to win a Grade 1. Which will certainly be over the same course and distance as his win yesterday.

2m3f horses can still win over 2m5f imo.

should lob him in the john durkan imo

Should had tried the 3miles in the king george.

Are you serious?

am i serious?

About putting him in the John Durkan?

yep im serious. obv not this year after saturdays exertions but next yr

wouldn't have been out of the question.

He can't go right handed and he needs good ground, So that rules that out.

Ryanair and Melling are his two chances at G1's. I wonder what rating he'll get for his win yesterday.

well done on Friday's win Reve top effort.

should go well in both imo and would be amazed if he couldnt pick up a few g1s. thanks howdi. the gaffers gallops were frozen so i didnt get much work done and no schooling either as was proved over the 1st two! i should come on for the run. bit of a messy race i thought

I suspect he has won his race for the season

really, i think he will be at least placed in the ryanair.

Not sure I entirely trust this horse. Suspect he'll come unstuck in G1 company.

Time for Rupert horse of the season for me so far. Not touched a twig looks a natural to me.

I know what you mean RC, but that was quite a display on Saturday. I was with someone who had a large wager on Great Endeavour and we were both happy jumping the last based on Poquelin's antics in the past: needless to say I was surprised with the outcome and he was very p155ed off!!

On my ratings I have that performance 7-10lbs better than anything he has achieved before, and although I don't want to start a debate, around 5-7lbs superior to anything Albertas Run has scored.

Maybe he has improved (is only 7 after all) but perhaps the ground is the key to the horse. I made the ground in his last two runs quite a bit more testing than Saturday (and he ran fairly well at Aintree).

Hi The Sawyer, yes my immediate reaction was that he must have improved, and I was impressed even with a claimer taking weight off. Beating a well treated horse who would have relished conditions giving tonnes of weight suggests an improved effort.

However, I think the ground is the only or main reason for improved performance - he'd already run this yr (cannot believe PFN didn't have him right then) and he's very exposed. A good judge I know actually fancied him for the Champion (ludicrous, I said) many yrs ago after bolting up at Ayr on fast ground.

He has put up decent performances on ground with cut, inc in this race last yr, and when 2nd (ridden to stay, never put in the race, ran by beaten horses) in the 09 PPGC but I think the ground is key. He's a horse with plenty of miles on the clock, so I just cannot imagine that the horse is improving now. Decent ground is what he wants, but i dont think it was too bad in the ryanair and he was beaten readilly by a decent ground horse. That makes me think he'll be beaten again in the spring by a horse that is being trained for the race (Alberta's) or something else. If he can win the Ryanair, all things being equal, if I was his owner, I would be wondering why he he didn't win it last yr. I must admit though, i have had this horse wrong all the time, so it may be the case again. Maybe with cut he needs 2m.

The fact this was on the new course and not the old one like the paddy p is run on was a factor. Ryanair is the same c&d as he ran on on sat

Have never really been taken with Poquelin before now, but that was an excellent performance on Saturday

I knew he had that in him.

FFT - totally agree. At the weights he was one of the first I dismissed. He seems to have 'grown up' after not looking too straightforward a few times in the past.
CV - maybe you're a better judge than me because I didn't see that coming. I think Great Endeavour is very well handicapped and could bound up the ratings over the next 18 months, but he was firmly put in his place. Turn the clock back a bit (PPGC'09 behind Tranquil Sea) when they were similarly rated and I thought his stable-mate Chapoturgeon was a much better proposition. I'm fallible after all

i remember chapo last year harch, had him each way. god only knows how daryl jacob stayed on, thought me few quid was gone down the swanny

backed him last 5 races ex. melling.. consistent horse... dont think he was fit for PP this year, ryanair has always been the aim. his PP last year nmade me notice him when scything through the field before running out of track to catch TS. Travels extremely well on inside rail.

His consistent record over the course and distance and the good ground made him an ew certainty.

Same thing I said about him for  the paddy power. Plus having Popham claiming was a good thing too.

It was more his near certain over pricing of his place claims that made him such a good bet.

^^^ rynair could be a decent size field

Cheltenham new course, over 2m5f, good to soft or better ground with big field his record is 121.

I think Poquelin had had 23 runs before Sat - i accept this track brings the best out of him, but cannot accept the horse is suddenly improving. Regarding bettr ground, i think this makes a difference, but i think Alberta's also likes it decent.

RC

Poq new BHA rating 170, higher than both AR and MG - improvement or mistake?

Has he ever beaten either of them?

Hi The Sawyer - they know far more than me, and as I said above, I have got this horse wrong repeatedly, but that surprises me. He obviously just produces his best on that track with decent ground.  Not going to have a chance to look up results, so uncertain about their history against other. Woolcombe Folly up to 169, which also surprises me.

What do you think TS?

Off topic, but off the top of my head, WF ran off 154 (minus 5lb claim) and beat a 135 rated horse 6l. WF has risen to 169 and Thanks for That has gone up 142. FF has been kept on the same mark 145, beaten by Thanks 14. FF was having his 4th quick run. Seems excessive for WF for me. Sorry, this is all totally off topic.

RC

As I said before, I was shocked with Poquelin's "apparent" improvement, and on what he he achieved in the time recorded, 168-170 is "correct" on how the handicapper makes his number up - sorry assesses the relevant merits of a race. Rarely do I agree with them but I could reluctantly almost give Poq 170 (well more like 169!).

The same applies to WF, although I have plumped for 165, making full allowance of the claim.

Both exceptional weight carrying performances, however you interpret the form - and believe me I use every possible angle to lower a horses figure.

Still they are only numbers (and I was told once that it is not a time trial) but if Poq has improved that much, he is a leading Ryanair player (I think he was sent off fav last year) and WF a lively outsider (although I do not know what his current price is) for the CC.