The Edward O'Grady wins another Paddy Power Gold Cup thread

that's his mark...he is well in on his hurdles mark and he's relatively unexposed as a chaser...but that's his mark on what he's achieved so far...what can the handicapper do

He's put Irish horses up by any amount he likes in the past, could easily have looked how close he got to Weapons and Pandorama at Leopardstown and whack him up half a stone.

In the perfect world, this thread would end up being my favourite thread of all time!

Spot on ben, I thought the handicapper would have him in higher than this, especially as EOG won the race last year.

Although everyone thinks he is best on soft, I'm not totally convinced it makes a massive difference to him, he can still show his best on better ground. He shows fences more respect than hurdles, so whilst not the most natural, he jumps solidly enough. He wasnt right in the CH and still ran respectably so his course form is actually quite good.

GE definitely the one I'm most worried about.

GE ran the race of his life at the festival and if he's improved as much as the Pipe camp clearly believe he has, then will take the world of beating. Catch Me running off 10-5 has to be the value in the race however. If its a match between the two then CM every time for me.

catch me wins by 6 . well i hope he does for u ccm

well fancied in the ante-post betting market now......i'm on at 19.5.....lets hope for a big run.....hope the blow out he had did him good .....thought he might have drifted after the run the fact he is still fancied in the betting bodes well.....lets hope he is up to the job think this years renewal is the strongest for 5years

Hes been strong in the market because hes got in off his Irish mark.

Travelled over well too (will miss all the stormy seas !)

And all the rain on friday night will be just perfect.

Catch Me will not win the paddy power. That is a fact. Simple as that. If he goes close to 6/1 I'll start to lay him.

It's clearly not fact, but I do agree with the sentiment.

Fact, wish you'd of told me earlier. I'd of got in touch with Edward and of told him not to bother bringing him over.

I know it's not a fact, but I'm putting my balls on the line, leaving myself open to ridicule is he does win. I am just adamant he is not good enough and will need plenty to blunder away their chances of he is to win.

respect your opinion but im happy with my selection and im happy with my price :) whats your fancy cv?

Oh fair play if you got anything 20/1 and above, place side of that is decent enough. But forms offering 7's with O' Grady far from confident. Madness imo.

I'm all over Poquelin e/w, his consistency, his love of cheltenham and the drying ground all in his favor. Laddies offering 16/1, that is a fantastic price for a horse who's open company form reads 1212U2. Booking of popham to blain 5lbs is good too.

I him've in an e/w double with General Miller too.

I've 3pts on long run antepost. He is the most likely winner imo. Class horse in the race.

I'll have a nibble at Mad Max saturday morning if I can get 10's or better.

Forgive continual odd spelling mistakes. I'm using a smartphone with a predictive text method called swype. Lightening fast but prone to some odd errors.

interesting, i must admit Poquelin does operate well round cheltenham and popham is well worth his claim. I actually prefer the other nicholls horse think the run would have him spot on.

Im a massive fan of General Miller and think he could be EW value for the champion Hurdle but i don't think any of the 150 rated novices from last season will win. Im really sweet on Sure Josie Sure, think she could run to the mid 140s at least.

Oh and yes im on at 20s :)

You sweet on josie based on last season form with nearby? If so be warned trainer said nearby is a coherent horse this season, they could never get him for last term. I'm on olofi ew at 33's and General Miller at 8's.

I got menorah added to arkle maker and got 40's about him. Hobbs said if he doesn't win this weekend he will go chasing. So basically I'll cover my bet on the arkle with a place bet on menorah. If he goes chasing 40/1 is a great price as he'll lobe the end to end gallop of the arkle.

Do you think P/W reads the betfair forum?

didnt jump :(

Thats right brookies.

Pretty disappointed, but he came back safe and sound which is the main thing and will live to fight another day. I think he showed he still has some engne, but his jumping is simply not good enough to compete in races like this.

AM said he was meeting fences almost as well as he could and still losing a length every time. He was having to hurry him every time he landed, and that took its toll.

I think chases in Ireland will suit him much better, and I also think he might just be better over hurdles.

Fair play to Abbott. You were spot on.

Horse is simply bog average.

CVB. Showing your class as usual. A sad little man unfortunately.

If you have ever owned a horse, or could ever own one in the future, I'm sure you'd be disappointed to have one as 'bog average' as him.

Jesus christ you are a little child aren't you? You give Abbott credit for saying he will give up the game if he wins yet give me grief. Cop on you prat.

you sound quite obnoxious to me CVbyrne, to be perfectly honest.

It's like you want to be right all the time. We all guilty of it when discusiing horses but no need to take this p1ss out of an owner.

I'm sorry but I don't see how me saying the horse is "bog average" is any worse than abbott saying "he'll give up the game in Catch Me wins the Paddy Power".

I'm sorry but Can't Catch Me has no right having a go at me for expressing a fair opinion. I've every right to be unhappy with a comment like that made by him, owner or not (which I didn't know he was).

Far worse things said about horses on here than bog average and people having a go at me.

I didn't know he was the owner and was certainly not trying to take the p1ss. Understandable his reaction now I know he's the owner. I thought he was just connected/big fan of the horse.

Can't Catch me, with regard to the horse, is he not better off going back over hurdles as it would seem to me that races like the Hattons Grace (he likes soft ground I think) and maybe even the Aintree hurdle would be a better fit for him. Do you reckon he retains all his ability because if he does he will mop up plenty of good 2 and a half mile hurdles at home. Was he injured last season as the campaign was curtailed? It is a pity if he was as the Powers Gold Cup at Easter looked made for him.

CVB. There were plenty eho (rightly0 said he wouldnt win. The reaosn I mentioned abbott was because, imo, he had the exact reasons why he didnt. He said he wouldnt be suited to the hurly burly of the big fiedl and his jumping wouldnt hold up. Which was the main reason he performed so badly. You and others just said he wasnt good enough. You might think I'm biased and you were right, I think abbott had it spot on.

Had the front 8 or so runners ran at somewhere like Naas, on softer ground and at a more sedate pace, I think he would have fared alot better.

Neill. Everyone felt he had retained his ability, and he travelled very well for a long way. His poor jumping just took its toll, as it would do in a rec of that nature. I dont think EOG's horses are quite at their peak yet, and this was his first proper run of the season. I think he will be spot on next time. I think he will still have a few more good days and can win some valuable prizes, but they are going to be in Ireland. I also think you might be right about hurdles. He's built like a hurdler. It was onle when you saw him alongside some of those horses on saturday that it really hit home.

I'm guessing thats why EOG was pretty down beat about his prep run because they didn't even race, guessing he was hoping for more of a race to get the horse fit.

Pretty sure Catch Me will win a decent pot this year though just not his track Cheltenham, you have to try though :)

Cheers Can't, I've always liked the horse and it could be that this experience over fences will make him even tougher when he goes back over smaller obstacles.

Thats exactly what I think too Neill. He didnt used to pay hurdles much respect, think his period chasing may do that.

That said, I think EOG wants to persist with fences a bit longer. As I said, I think the nature of how they are run in Ireland helps him a great deal.