WHILE the esteemed members of HM and the Irish press corps will be concentrating on Champions’ Day at Newmarket, Cheltenham’s Showcase meeting marks the start of what some people describe as ‘proper’ racing and hopefully, racing correspondents/editors may be able to spare a couple of pars at the bottom of their stories for Jumps enthusiasts.
The Paul Nicholls-trained Poquelin may head for a clash with stable companion Tatenen and possibly Isn’t That Lucky and Saphir Des Bois, both trained by Jonjo O’Neill, in next month’s £150,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham after his length victory over Gaelic Flight in today’s Zeturf.com Handicap Chase at Prestbury Park.
Cheltenham is back for 2009/2010
The winning trainer said: “That was nice and we thought that we’d come here for a confidence booster for Poquelin. He was a little bit frustrating last year I suppose. I’m not convinced that he really stays two and a half miles as he only just got home.
“His jumping went to pieces last season – he’s a stronger sort of horse now. Ruby suggested that I went up in trip with him, but I’ve always thought and sort of seeing him work that he’s a two-miler really. I still think that he’ll be a better horse over a good two miles than he will there as he was tying up a bit on the run-in. He likes it around here and goes left-handed and we’ll probably come back here for the Paddy Power meeting.
“He’ll have an entry for the Paddy Power Gold Cup but the two-mile handicap [paddypower.com Handicap Chase] might be his race. I’m sure a real fast-run race over two miles suits him and he can get home strongly. So we’ll just see over the next two weeks, but I’m going to enter five or six in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and others include Chapoturgeon, Tatenen, who we always thought would be Andy’s horse in it, Kicks For Free and we’ll probably run Poquelin over two miles as I think that it will suit him much better.”
However, owner Andy Stewart was adamant that Poquelin will go for the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
He said: “He could be a horse for an extended two miles and we’ll want to see how he is going at home, but almost certainly he will come back and run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. The other horses will run as well so they will all be entered including Tatenen.
“Poquelin jumped well after being caught out here last time in the Grand Annual where he was favourite and made a couple of mistakes and came eighth. He didn’t do that today and we’ll definitely be back supporting the Paddy Power Gold Cup over two miles four and a half. We might look at shorter later on back to two miles which he has won over before.”
Meanwhile Starluck was quoted at 20-1 (the after-race 33-1 soon disappeared) by Paddy Power for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle after he won the opener easily.
