Bit harsh to call Protektorat a "handicapper". On that basis, any horse that doesn't win the Gold Cup is a handicapper. How would you define a proper Grade 1 horse?

It's slightly irritating that I can't glean any info about L'Homme Presse wellbeing; bloody stable is impossible to gauge. Trip and ground perfect though and his been entered in enough races to make me believe he might be ready. Surely anywhere near his best will beat this lot including Protektorat trying to give him 4lbs.

I think thats probably as a result of the early price being very tight. 10/11 is more realistic, given the stable and mia for 13 months. Apologies for aftertiming but Allaho 6/5 with Bet365 (without Envoy Allen) was a much better bet for those that could get one.

L'Homme Presse after a few fences looks as rusty as an old nail.

Phew, thankfully warmed to the task. Protektorat probably best to put him in one of the Cheltenham handicaps.

Giving 4lb, Protektorat comes out just the best but both would be well short of GC class imo.

Protektorat would have won that off levels. Total overaction by bookmakers. Wouldnt what horses they have pushed out having shortened L Homme Presse up?

CD was messing on with stirrups or something for 1st mile of race giving easy lengths to the 2nd

i take that point Storm Alert. L'Homme Presse should improve enough to beat Protektorat again at levels over that trip but Protektorat was a well beaten fifth of 6 finishers in the 2023 Gold Cup! It is also true that Skelton has been in blinding form recently while Venetia was 0 from 12!

Poor old Acey. Another loser to add to the collection

Well done Tiger, great shout!

Could do with a few more threeds like this creates a bit of interest no?

There is always another day. Chasing on horses you don`t fancy is daft.

You always got plenty to say Mac...After the Race.

LHP will improve for fitness, jumping and trip. Still not likely to get close to GDC though, but it would be nice if something makes a race of it. Won cosily today, whatever pounds for lengths may say.

Really do not see how anyone can think the 4lb made the difference between victory and defeat.

Hoping to see GDC put in another monster performance at the DRF to jeopardise his Gold Cup claims.

I would be gobsmacked if they could get near the Fav in The Gold Cup....But i have been gobsmacked before.

Really? Sure, if GDC runs like he did last time out, nothing will get near him. But if he runs like he did the two races before that, he'll get beaten by something.

Agree Stront, plenty are focussing on GDC's last run, but if we look at the wider picture since last March then the conclusion we must come to is that he has a vulnerability as well of any brilliance he may show and as impressive as he was last time the truth is that he was the only one to run any kind of race and the horse that's beaten him twice since last March wasn't even in the field.

If you were really wanting to pour cold water on it you could say that Fastorslow was nothing more than a glorified handicapper himself who beat GDC twice whilst about 2 stone wrong at the weights. Even with what appears the paucity of opposition nigh on even money about the favourite is pushing it

skelton running prot again before chelt, diff campaign pot hunting, if it runs at chelt more chance of running in ryanair