Poquelin heads AP Gold Cup field
Andy Stewart’s gelding has top weight of 11st 12lb, 4lb more than he carried when success 12 months ago.
His trainer Paul Nicholls has also left in French import Robinson Collonges, a facile winner of a three-horse affair at Hereford last time.
Little Josh will try to follow up his win in last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup over the course when Poquelin was fifth while his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is also represented by Pigeon Island.
Nicky Henderson fields a strong double act in Paddy Power fourth Mad Max and course winner Dave’s Dream.
Dancing Tornado took runner-up spot in the Paddy Power and his trainer Michael Hourigan will be hoping to go one better. That horse’s owner JP McManus has Tom Taaffe’s Finger Onthe Pulse and the Jonjo O’Neill-trained Sunnyhillboy as well.
Dancing Tornado and Finger Onthe Pulse are two of the six Irish-trained possibles along with Tony Martin’s pair of Psycho and Northern Alliance, Noel Glynn’s Gonebeyondrecall and Paul Magnier’s Duers.
David Pipe is two-handed with Great Endeavour and Matuhi while the line-up is completed by Nicky Richards’ Noble Alan, Henrietta Knight’s Calgary Bay and Pickamus from Henry Daly’s stable.
Knight had intended to send Calgary Bay to Doncaster but with prospects of racing seemingly better at Cheltenham, the West Lockinge trainer is expecting the seven-year-old to go there instead.
“We had hoped Calgary Bay would go to Doncaster this weekend but that looks hopeless, so he’ll probably go to Cheltenham,” said Knight.
“They have to run somewhere and at least Cheltenham have covers down.”
Meanwhile Knight has given Racing Demon the option of running over hurdles at Cheltenham if Thursday’s Peterborough Chase is abandoned.
This year’s Huntingdon meeting is in serious doubt due to the freezing temperatures currently sweeping Britain, so Knight is hoping the race is rescheduled for a later date.
“Thursday looks hopeless at the moment, so the Peterborough is likely to be lost,” said Knight. “I suppose they could reschedule the race and if they do, then he’ll go for that. He’s in a hurdle race at Cheltenham on Friday and I suppose if the Peterborough is abandoned, he could run there instead.”
