That was an 8l defeat to Imperial Commander in the Ryanair last year

Last 4 runs, all at Cheltenham.

**** off top weight - "held up towards rear, headway, in touch 12th, blundered badly 4 out, unable to recove"

Plate ff 11-8 - "held up in rear, headway 12th, chased leading pair after 3 out to next, soon ridden and one pace"

Silver Trophy Chase Cheltenham - "led until after 3rd, led next, narrow advantage when hit 3 out, crumpled on landing and headed, not recover"

Cheltenham Oct 16ht top weight - "chased leaders, ridden after 3 out, disputing close 4th when fell 2 out"

Jumping is clearly a problem, but if and of course it's a big if, he has a good round he has the talent to make the frame. 10-10 is a fair weight for a horse used to shouldering 11-12. He will enjoy the goodish ground and with PaddyP offering 5 places and currently best odds guaranteed, there's worse horses to back than him e/w @ 33/1 imo.

I fancy Pigeon Island to do the same as he did at the festival earlier in the year. Creep into contention and bound clear after the last. For a horse with his hurdles ability he has no weight at all. Very under rated in my opinion.

pigeon did that over 2miles at the festival.
i doubt it will stay on aswell as then.

CVByrne, I'm all over Gwanako. Mentioned him earlier on this thread I think. Was praying he was entered.

Small horse so needs to carry low weights. This is the lowest weight he has carried in this country I think. Every race he lugs 11st 6lb and above and the weight is too much at the death against progressive low weights. Have a look at his win record when he carries under 11st to that above 11st.

I've backed him at 100 ante post and again at 55 now. He should be 20's tops. His fall ratio is my biggest worry, but I don't think the field bar the obvious few is that strong.

My one wish was that Popham had ridden him and taken another 5lb off. 10st 3lb would have seen me delirious!!!

From BJG ATR Blog:

I always think that you know the real jump season is on us with the arrival of the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham and it’s good to know you have a fighting chance of winning that big race and a few more besides.

I know one thing; I wouldn’t be fielding outside of Nicky Henderson’s team to supply the winner of the big one on Saturday.

I have a very live chance on MAD MAX and then there’s Long Run who could really be anything he wants to be, an aeroplane!

What I can tell you is that Mad Max is in flying form. I was over for a big schooling morning on Thursday and shot Mad Max over five fences and, if you’ll pardon me for using the language of the weighing room, you’d have thought his ass was on fire!

He was very, very quick, really winged them, and that’s how he likes to be. He races like that, too, full on.

He is on good terms with himself and looks an absolute picture and he has a realistic chance in a very tough handicap — harder than the one Poquelin was second in last year. And although he did really well to be second for me at Aintree last time and the good ground will help, I think he has plenty on with top weight.

Mad Max is good fresh — he’s won first time out the last three seasons and would have been closer then fourth in the Arkle had he not hit the second last.

This is a much more suitable trip for him as he showed when he won at Aintree, the decent ground is perfect and his wind is sounding good. I do expect a very good performance.

But I am under no illusion about the capabilities of Long Run — I’ve seen plenty of him.

Realistically he could be thrown in but in a competitive race like this things will have to go his way because he was a bit novicey — which was to be expected — when he was third in the RSA Chase at the Festival. It will be very important that Sam Waley Cohen, who knows him well enough, gets him into a nice rhythm.

But I’d have to say that if things do go right for him on Saturday, then he’ll be near impossible to beat.

Can see Door Boy in the frame.

That was some performance.

for me it just keeps catching fences. Either takes on Big Bucks or they get a decent jock

Not sure why the jockey is attracting criticism tbh. It's the horse who needs to sortout his jumping.

He is an easy target Lieutenant, unfair really,imo. Truth is there is no blame to lie with anyone, the horse just cant jump you'd hope.he needs more practice,experience and time to develop.imo

I'm not blaming the jock for the horses jumping. But it's stupid to have such an inexperienced jockey on board such a tricky ride. Geraghty should be aboard.

Makes a relatively unfit Weird Al's performance look pretty good now, giving 6lbs to Little Josh.

Wasn't that race the one Exotic Dancer got stuffed in before winning the Paddy Power?

yes Joci, also the same race L'antartique won pre-Paddy Power glory

brooksielad,be a man &say you were wrong

Tha Nicholls winner of the Triumph trial could be anything. He looked a future Gold Cup horse to me!

CVB. You've got an attitude problem imo. Convinced you know better than everyone else.

The horse is in every way a chaser in the making. I saw him close up. Oh and hapened to speak to the owners after the race. I'll tell them what you said and that they have their horse all wrong.

Sorry wrong thread, thought this was about catch me.

I was giving an opinion and you called me 'silly' and 'utter nonsense'. I think you are the one that needs to grow up.

I didnt say he'd win it next season did I? He looks like a chaser already. He's only a 3 yr old.

And why have you said you thought this was a thread about Catch Me?

Just watched the race back a few times.the same kind of ride Imperial Commander was given in this 2 years ago right up there making it a race from the start. It was quite impressive actually. His jumping was excellent.