Rick, I can't believe you're being silly enough to rule out Colour Squadron simply because he's a maiden ffs. Had he not been hampered two out latest, then he wouldn't be a maiden anymore. He fits EVERY one of your other criteria, and yet your ruling him out simply because of a technicality. 7/1 reflects his chance, but to rule him out on that basis is crazy

the criteria is actually :

won at least 2 chases and ideally a graded chase


not 'not a maiden chaser'

so even if he had won the PP he would still be dismissed, so you got that wrong too

Colour Squadron won't be much shorter on the day, will he?

Colour Squadron won't be much shorter on the day, will he?

There have been occasions in the past SOULDANCER when the field for this race has cut up quite badly. If most/all stand their ground though I'd be inclined to agree with you.

They can't all stand their ground (safety limit!) but I hope you got my drift!

Stewart Family Thank You Gold Cup
Class 1, Grade 3, £100,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.25pm, Cheltenham, Saturday, December 14, 2013. For 4yo+, 2m 5f. Penalties: after December 1, a winner of a chase 5lb (no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb). Entries closed November 26, entries revealed November 27 (35 entries), weights revealed December 4. Five-day confirmation stage December 9, final 48-hour declaration stage 10am, December 12. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including the racing on Monday, December 2.

Form  Horse    Age/Wgt Owner   Trainer
5/4520-1 KID CASSIDY (IRE) 7-11-12 J P McManus   Nicky Henderson
3P240-0 THE GIANT BOLSTER 8-11-11 Simon Hunt   David Bridgwater
2/11151- CAPTAIN CONAN (FR) 6-11-11 Triermore Stud  Nicky Henderson
F0211-F KATENKO (FR)  7-11-09 Andrew Brooks  Venetia Williams
24251-0 CHAMPION COURT (IRE) 8-11-09 Mark Boothright  Martin Keighley
301-131 TRIOLO D'ALENE (FR) 6-11-08 Mr & Mrs Sandy Orr  Nicky Henderson
43112-1 ROLLING ACES (IRE) 7-11-08   Paul Barber, Ian Fogg & David Martin Paul Nicholls
4133-66 WISHFULL THINKING 10-11-08 Diana Whateley  Philip Hobbs
F1011-5 RAJDHANI EXPRESS 6-11-07 Robert Waley-Cohen  Nicky Henderson
13336P- GHIZAO (GER)  9-11-07 The Johnson & Stewart Families Paul Nicholls
444-541 NOBLE PRINCE (GER) 9-11-06 Des Sharkey   Paul Nolan IRE
13114-3 UNIONISTE (FR)  5-11-04 John Hales   Paul Nicholls
6/U-0426 GAUVAIN (GER)  11-11-03 The Spoofers   Philip Hobbs
311PB-1 KAPGA DE CERISY (FR) 5-11-02 Andrew Brooks  Venetia Williams
2110-01 CANTLOW (IRE)  8-11-00 J P McManus   Paul Webber
14-P0F2 EASTER METEOR  7-11-00 Mr & Mrs S C Willes  Emma Lavelle
6033-11 JOHNS SPIRIT (IRE) 6-11-00 Christopher Johnston  Jonjo O'Neill
51211-3 GRANDIOSO (IRE)  6-10-13 Andrea & Graham Wylie Paul Nicholls
2/2425-2 COLOUR SQUADRON (IRE) 7-10-12 J P McManus   Philip Hobbs
1522-20 TAP NIGHT (USA)  6-10-11 J P McManus   Lucinda Russell
0112//01/- SALUT FLO (FR)  8-10-10 Allan Stennett   David Pipe
5P513-3 HOME FARM (IRE)  6-10-09 Chris Jones   Arthur Moore IRE
23100-1 SILVER ROQUE (FR) 7-10-09 Lord Vestey   Fergal O'Brien
22102-3 MA FILLEULE (FR)  5-10-08 Simon Munir   Nicky Henderson
5F23-04 PEPITE ROSE (FR)  6-10-06 Falcon's Line Ltd  Venetia Williams
606F0-1 TATENEN (FR)  9-10-06 The Stewart Family  Richard Rowe
1//4/563-4 MAIL DE BIEVRE (FR) 8-10-06 P E Atkinson   Tom George
1/0P10-P BALLYNAGOUR (IRE) 7-10-06 Allan Stennett   David Pipe
P5114-5 MCMURROUGH (IRE) 9-10-05 Mrs D W Davenport  Malcolm Jefferson
330-P24 ATTAGLANCE  7-10-03 H Young, G Eifert, R Snyder Malcolm Jefferson
103-040 NATIVE GALLERY (IRE) 8-9-13  William Tyrer   Ben De Haan
P0F-04 6 SOLIX (FR)   7-9-13  Paul Vogt   Ian Williams
3P-6132 DOUBLE ROSS (IRE) 7-9-13  Options O Syndicate       Nigel Twiston-Davies
11-030U THEATRICAL STAR  7-9-10  Brocade Racing  Colin Tizzard
614-232 SEW ON TARGET (IRE) 8-9-10  A Selway   Colin Tizzard

35 entries
2 Irish-trained

Forecast for early part of next week looks decent. Likely Good to Soft ?

Might be watering!

New, weights were out on the 4th so any hike b4 that will be carried here

Attaglance ew for me at 20's, he has a decent pull in the weights with Johns Spirit (9lbs) and Colour Squadron (7lbs), I can see him going off at 10s or 12s on the day.

Bit of a surprised that. Either he's had a set-back or they feel he is better off running in conditions/graded races off level weights.

Suspect the ground is too quick for Rajdhani Express. Taking about watering to maintain 'good'!

JOHN's SPIRIT to continue his progression - and win for the 3rd time this season

Mail De Bievre for me. Running off a fly weight. Has plenty of early speed. Gets into a nice rhythm, and get 10 lengths ahead early on. Just scrambles home to hold off Colour Squadron. That's my hope anyway

Thanks shockster

If he was struck into and on the easy list, why the feck was he entered?

R Express, looked ominous when he didn't shorten in price.

Moore reported: "Home Farm is likely to run in the Stewart Family Thank You Gold Cup and David Casey will ride, all being well. I was really happy with his first run at Naas and he has been fine since then.

"We are bringing him over because it looks like an ideal race for him. He has a nice weight and it will help us determine where we are going for the rest of the season. He has only had five starts over fences so this will be super experience for him.

"We used to always come to England in the old days when we had the right horses, rather than just waiting for the Cheltenham and Aintree Festivals. We have won Imperial Cups, Game Spirits and Victor Chandlers but we just haven't had the horses lately."

It's understandable that Paddy Power 1-2 Johns Spirit and Colour Squadron are joint favourites for the race, as we've seen in the past Paddy Power form is a good guide to the December race. Walkon was 2nd in both race last season, Quantitativeasing & Poquelin had come 2nd in Paddy Power then won this race on their next start and of course Exotic Dancer won both races back to back in 2006.

As was widely accepted before the Paddy Power last month it was a below average renewal, no Grade 1 class horses lurking in there like we had last year with Al Ferof. So we can come at this race from the perspective of finding ones ahead of the handicapper. So in that respect I'm looking at two, Double Ross & Attaglance.

Firstly Double Ross failed to get off the mark on his first 2 runs over fences last term, then switch back to hurdles where he won over 2m5f in a handicap hurdle at the Paddy Power meeting, followed by a good 4th in the Ladbroke over 2m, he then ran a fine race from the front to be 3rd to Salubrious in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham. The form of that run has been boosted by Salubrious since.
Switching back to fences this season he beat Paddy Power 4th Attaglance at Perth by 2l and then stumbled after 5 out to lose any chance nto behind Balder Succes at Chepstow. He was well backed in first time h/c company on his latest start where he was 2nd. But the yard were is terrible form at the time having had but 1 winner from 50 runners and that weekend was again fruitless.

With the yard in superb form now and with his like for this trip and track I expect a bold front running performance in this ala Little Josh in the 2010 Paddy Power. Aided by the featherweight he will likely carry of 10-5 helping make the task of keeping the run to the line up. Some expected showers at the end of the week will aid him from being outpaced at key moments.

The next one of interest is Attaglance 4th in the Paddy Power last month where he was outpaced at a key moment in the race but stayed on. He won the Martin Pipe on the tougher New Course at Cheltenham which this Dec Gold Cup is run on, with a chase rating of 137 he's still 18lb below his hurdles mark so looks well in and can post an improved performance in what looks a weaker race.

Of the remainder Home Farm looks a horse who could be on a favourible mark, being by Presenting you could see some big improvement on this better ground. Grandioso also looks a potential improver, Nicholls warned he'd need the run lto and in the circumstances it was a fine effort in coming 3rd. With the ditcheat yard in flying form right now he looks a big danger. Of the principles, Colour Squadron would probably have scope for most improvement if having AP in the saddle, a clearer run and strip fitter for his first outing.

But one who I will likely have a few quid on is Mail De Bievre who is in off a mark of 140 on his first h/c run in England

Selections

Double Ross 1pt e/w 25/1
Attaglance 1pt 12/1

I thought NTD has said previously that DR needs cut in the ground?

If Colour Squadron gets beaten it won't be due to stable form. Hobbs has had 7 winners in his last 12 runners. Stable on fire methinks.