****Chelt 11th Dec - December Gold Cup****

French Opera

seconded

thirded

Queen Mother winner.

backed Robinson Collonges @ 12/1 earlier today, think he will go off way shorter [;)]

Is he a deffo runner satellite? Also do you know what mark he's been given?

Can't see a lot wrong with Little Josh, especially if the ground's softer by then.

A few French Opera fans I see, don't any of you think he's too high in the ratings to win this now? Henderson said in his stable tour, that he needs to take in graded races because of this.

Sports Line is interesting

I wouldn't look past Little Josh at this stage; i presume Paddy Brennan will be on board.

I think French Opera's handicap mark is OK but don't see him as a 2 1/2 miler around Cheltenham. He was entitled to win at Ayr over the longer trip but his Grand Annual second was top class handicap form in anyone's book.

Why would Sam Twiston Davies lose the ride on Little Josh?

Because he's banned after a couple of offences (?). Maybe NTD will have something else in the race, but i can't see Brennan preferring an other inmate to LJ.

Down to 9/1 now only with vc, and generally 7/1 or 8/1 with all the firms [;)]

Once PFN's comments about the horse reach a wider audience the price will implode. I'm on from 12's down.

Do we know what mark Robinson Collonges has been given?

Theres nothing on the BHA website yet.

I saw him win at Bangor but his current price is way too short for a horse who's never even seen Cheltenham and fell last time. Doesn't mean he can't win but no value.

roberto goldback interesting entry aswell

Robison Collonges has been given a mark of 148 - Seems a bit harsh.

Prince de Beaucheane looks on a nice weight if the ground is genuinely soft/heavy

Sunnyhillboy had nice school round in Paddy Power?

chapoturgeon goes well round chelters if he could recapture his form from last years race

Chapoturgeon definitely interesting as he was very close up when making a mistake at the last or second last in the 2009 renewal and obviously has cracking course form with his 2009 Jewson win. Just wonder if the ground will be a bit soft next week and if he might be being primed for The Racing Post Plate.

yeah. really like this lad but seems unlucky at times and jumping lets him down other times. id say if he got his act together then he wouldnt be disgraced in the lexus/irish hennessy/jn wine chase. id say if he wasnt with nicholls who has so many good ones in each division then thats probably where hed be aimed

Last i heard Nicholls said he was going to try dropping him back 2 miles again.

may sort out jumping too

Probably wants better ground and should be down in the weights by the time we get some.

Little Josh must have a good chance of going in again here, unless his last two runs have taken there toll.

Mad Max, Great Endeavour & Sunnyhill Boy all need to massively improve on there efforts in the PP as they only have a 9lb pull with the winner.

Nearly all of Daves Dreams winning form is when fresh & im not totally that Dancing Tornado really wants to win.

The 13/2 with Totesport looks a fair price to me, especially now that Sam Twiston Davies can ride him.

high enough in weights imo. is paddy power form questionable cos wierd al form is

Weird Al ran below bar in one of the best Hennessys in recent years, after finishing exhausted in the Carlisle race. Im prepared to put a line through that.

If Little Josh runs his race i find it hard to see anything that reopposes turning the form around.

There are a few that didnt run in the PP that interest me, but aren"t confirmed runners yet.

what did people make of great endeavours run in the pp? finished 6th in the end looked like making a serious challenge at one point dropped away then plodded on for 6th. made a few mistakes was it ground? nedded run? any excuses come to light cuz that surely wasnt his true running

Definitely wasn't his true running but, as someone who backed him at the festival, I thought he was never really going the same. Couldn't see any reason why he'd improve but seemed to hang like something may be hurting him. Perhaps he needs Danny Cook?

from viewing his last race he needs anyone but timmy murpht

murphy

im really struggling to find a reason to forgive that run but if chapoturgeon should run be an intresting choice for murphy to make

Think Chapo does not run!