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14:35 Cheltenham

Paddy Power Gold Cup Chase (Grade 3 Handicap) (Class 1)

  • 20 Runners
  • Distance: 2m 4f 110y
  • Going: Good to Soft, Good in places
  • Surface: Turf
  • £150,000 added
  • Winner: £85,425
  • 2nd: £32,055
  • 3rd: £16,050
  • 4th: £7,995
Weighed In
  • Winning Time: 5m 1.20s
  • Off Time: 14:35:43
  • 20 Ran
1
Silk - BLACK and WHITE (halved), RED sleeves and cap

Poquelin (FR)

14 CCD
25/1
  • Form 25141-5
  • Age 8
  • Weight 11-12
  • Official Rating 170

mid-division, hampered 1st, headway 11th, 8th when blundered and unseated rider 3 out

2
Silk - Dark Blue, Light Blue hoop, checked sleeves and cap

Wishfull Thinking

190 t DCD
7/2
  • Form 12121-1
  • Age 8
  • Weight 11-6
  • Official Rating 164

prominent, led approaching 4th, hit 8th, headed 3 out, weakened next

3
Silk - YELLOW, BLACK chevron, check cap
  • Form 83124-3
  • Age 9
  • Weight 10-9
  • Official Rating 153

held up in mid-division, headway when bad mistake 11th and lost place, no impression after, well beaten from 4 out

4
Silk - Yellow, Dark Blue chevron, White sleeves, Red cap
16/1
  • Form 43-2512
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-9
  • Official Rating 153

held up, struggling 10th, well behind 4 out

5
Silk - YELLOW, PURPLE hoops and armlets, hooped cap
9/2
  • Form 12/5312-
  • Age 5
  • Weight 10-8
  • Official Rating 152

held up in touch, hampered 9th, lost place and pushed along when hampered 11th, well beaten after 4 out

6
Silk - ROYAL BLUE, EMERALD GREEN sleeves, WHITE cap, EMERALD GREEN spots
8/1
  • Form 41/62F6-
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-3
  • Official Rating 147

tracked leaders, went 2nd 8th, led 3 out, clear when mistake last, comfortably

7
Silk - Light Blue, Red stars, Light Blue cap, Red star

Dave's Dream (IRE)

336 p BFC
9/1
  • Form 1340/10-
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-3
  • Official Rating 147

held up in touch, jumped left 9th, 3rd 4 out, weakened after next

8
Silk - Yellow, Orange star, Orange sleeves, Yellow stars, Yellow cap, Orange star

Holmwood Legend

213 DCD
33/1
  • Form 52F112-
  • Age 10
  • Weight 10-3
  • Official Rating 147

led, mistake 2nd, headed approaching 4th, hit 9th, weakened 4 out

9
Silk - Red and White check, Black and White check sleeves, Royal Blue cap
10/1
  • Form 1F1UF-4
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 146

mistake and unseated rider 1st

10
Silk - Emerald green, yellow hoops, emerald green and yellow quartered cap
33/1
  • Form 300-701
  • Age 10
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 146

mid-division, struggling from 12th

11
Silk - Dark Green, Maroon stars, Maroon cap
20/1
  • Form 56242F-
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-2
  • Official Rating 146

prominent, mistake 6th, lost place 12th, well beaten after 4 out

12
Silk - Yellow, Red spots
12/1
  • Form 22211-2
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 144

held up towards rear, hit 3rd and 8th, blundered badly and struggling from 11th

13
Silk - Orange and Yellow check, Orange sleeves, Yellow cap
20/1
  • Form 13F7-4U
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 142

held up in rear, headway 12th, 7th when blundered and unseated rider 4 out

14
Silk - Emerald green, yellow hoops, white cap
  • Form 7/7112-0
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 142

held up, hampered 6th, headway 12th, went 2nd after 3 out until after 2 out, stayed on to go 2nd again flat, well held by winner

15
Silk - White and Red stripes, Black and White halved sleeves, Black cap
40/1
  • Form 1/114P-2
  • Age 6
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 140

held up, ridden and struggling from 8th, well behind 4 out

16
Silk - RED, WHITE seams, ROYAL BLUE and WHITE hooped sleeves and cap

Aerial (FR)

216 BFD
33/1
  • Form 5F4712-
  • Age 5
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 140

mid-division, hit 6th and 9th, blundered 11th, headway approaching 3 out, went 4th 2 out, stayed on

17
Silk - Light Blue, White chevrons, White sleeves, Light Blue armlets, Light Blue and White striped cap
  • Form 12123-5
  • Age 9
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 140

held up in rear, fell 11th

18
Silk - Light blue, brown stripe and armlets

Divers (FR)

13 DCD
20/1
  • Form 15911-P
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 139

held up in rear, headway after 4 out, chased winner after 2 out, no impression, demoted to 3rd and one pace flat

19
Silk - LIGHT BLUE, MAROON stars and sleeves, LIGHT BLUE cap

Billie Magern

28 DCD
20/1
  • Form 35028-1
  • Age 7
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 139

prominent, lost place 7th, hit next, rallied approaching 3 out, no impression before next

20
Silk - Dark Blue, Lilac sleeves, Lilac and White quartered cap
33/1
  • Form 1821U-2
  • Age 8
  • Weight 10-0
  • Official Rating 138

in touch, pushed along approaching 6th, weakened approaching 2 out

Previous results

In depth

Verdict

With Poquelin standing his ground, nine of this field are forced to race out of the handicap proper. Quantitativeeasing, Aerial and Divers have each-way claims among that group and Fine Parchment jumped well and travelled strongly on his reappearance at Aintree until lack of condition told. Poquelin's stablemate Mon Parrain has been the subject of sustained ante-post support this week as Ruby Walsh's mount won by 22 lengths at Sandown on his UK debut in March and looked likely to follow up in the Topham Chase at Aintree the following month until weakening on the long run for home. There's more to come from Paul Nicholls' five-year-old but this in another hugely competitive renewal and there'll be plenty of interest in Wishfull Thinking, who never stopped improving last season. He was second in a Grade 2 over 2m4f at The Festival at Cheltenham in March before winning at Aintree and Punchestown, though form lines suggest he has to progress again to confirm course running with Loosen My Load. Calgary Bay could run well at a big price and Great Endeavour was a leading fancy here 12 months ago but could only finish sixth and races off a 5lb higher mark this year. THE GIANT BOLSTER hails from an unfashionable yard and has come to grief in three of his last four runs over fences but he has plenty of ability and may well have given the classy Time For Rupert something to think about had he not crashed out here a year ago. All the better for a spin over hurdles last month, he's very attractively weighted if a summer's schooling has ironed out his jumping problems and David Bridgwater's six-year-old gets the vote.

Formwatch

Poquelin (FR) 3-1 (11-6) In touch and keen, pushed along before 4 out, soon weakened, 5th of 7, 40l behind Weird Al (11-6) at Wetherby 3m 1f chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Oct.

Wishfull Thinking 11-4fav (11-10) Prominent, led 3rd, ridden and challenged 2 out, kept on well from before last, won at Punchestown 2m 5f nov chs gd in May beating Blazing Tempo (10-3) by 4 1/2l, 17 ran.

Oiseau de Nuit (FR) 16-1 (11-3) Held up in rear, closed after 8th, 3rd 3 out, driven after 2 out, not fluent last, one pace flat, 3rd of 7, 3 1/2l behind Medermit (11-4) at Exeter 2m 1f ltd hcp chs Grd 2 (1) gd.

Loosen My Load (IRE) 1-2fav (11-8) Slow jump 1st, chased leader, struggling from before straight, soon no impression and kept on same pace, 2nd of 4, 6l behind West With The Wind (11-8) at Limerick 2m 1f chs Grd 3 (1) in Oct.

Mon Parrain (FR) 7-2fav (11-6) Held up mid-division, headway from 7th, went 2nd at 11th, led before 2 out, ridden and headed before elbow, kept on same pace, no chance with winner, 2nd of 30, 4l behind Always Waining (10-4) at Aintree 2m 5f lstd hcp chs (1) gd in Apr.

Great Endeavour (IRE) 4-1fav (11-6) Mid-division on outside, hit 11th, reminders soon after, headway 12th, weakened approaching last, 6th of 15, 24l behind Prince De Beauchene (10-5) at Aintree 3m 1f lstd hcp chs (1) gd in Apr.

Dave's Dream (IRE) 5-1fav (10-11) Mid-division on outside, reminders from 4th, lost place 10th, soon behind, tailed off, 12th of 16, well behind Poquelin (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m 5f Grade 3 hcp chs (4yo+) (1) gs in Dec.

Holmwood Legend 4-1 (10-1) Tracked leader, not fluent 9th (water), challenging when stumbled 4 out, led just after 3 out, headed next, hit last, stayed on bravely, just held, 2nd of 5, 1/2l behind Poquelin (11-10) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp chs G2 (1) gd in Apr.

The Giant Bolster 14-1 (11-4) Mid-division, headway 4 out, chased leaders next, never on terms, 4th of 18, 8l behind Arthurian Legend (10-6) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl Grade 3 (1) gd in Oct.

Finger Onthe Pulse (IRE) 9-4 (11-2) Made all, opened up race winning lead from before 2 out, kept on well under pressure run-in, reduced lead close home, won at Listowel 2m 4f chs 0-145 hvy in Sep beating For Bill (10-12) by 1 1/4l, 5 ran.

Calgary Bay (IRE) 33-1 (10-10) In touch, fell 4th, in a race won by Ballabriggs (11-0) at Aintree 4m 4f hcp chs G3 (1) gd in Apr, 40 ran.

Araldur (FR) 16-1 (11-12) Held up in mid-division mistake 3rd, closer order to 4th after 7th, went 2nd 4 out until ridden approaching 2 out, left modest 2nd and badly hampered 2 out, no chance with winner, 2nd of 11, 8l behind Fistral Beach (11-5) at Wetherby 2m 4f listed hcp chs (1) gd in Oct.

Noble Alan (GER) 7-1 (11-5) Held up towards rear, headway to chase leaders before 3 out, challeged and led 2 out when stumbled and unseated rider, in a race won by Benny Be Good (11-8) at Market Rasen 2m 6f listed hcp chs (1) gd in Sep, 16 ran.

Quantitativeeasing (IRE) 7-1 (10-9) Chased leaders, 12th halfway, closer from 5 out, 4th after 3 out, ridden and no extra from next, weakened, 10th of 25, 32l behind Organisedconfusion (9-13) at Fairyhouse 3m 5f Ext hcp ch gd in Apr.

Swincombe Rock 7-1 (11-7) Held up towards rear, headway on outside 12th, went 2nd 4 out, led next, strongly pressed last, headed early run in, rallied closing stages, always just held, 2nd of 13, 1/2l behind Ethiopia (9-7) at Chepstow 3m hcp chs 0-150 (2) gd in Oct.

Aerial (FR) 5-6fav (11-3) Chased winner, blundered 1st, upsides and challenging from 4 out, ridden no extra and held after 2 out, 2nd of 4, 6l behind Gee Dee Nen (11-4) at Ascot 2m 5f nov chs (3) gd in Apr.

Tullamore Dew (IRE) 28-1 (11-6) Behind, mistake 4 out, ran on approaching last, never nearer, 5th of 18, 10l behind Arthurian Legend (10-6) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl Grade 3 (1) gd in Oct.

Divers (FR) 8-1 (11-6) Held up in touch, weakening when mistake 4 out, pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Mr Moonshine (10-8) at Carlisle 2m 4f int chs (2) gs in Oct, 6 ran.

Billie Magern 11-2 (10-11) Prominent, led 7th, not fluent 9th, clear 2 out, stayed on well, won at Cheltenham 2m 4f hcp chs 0-150 (2) gf in Oct beating Buck Mulligan (10-11) by 3 1/2l, 8 ran.

Fine Parchment (IRE) 6-1 (11-12) Mid-division, headway to track leading pair 5 out, went 2nd next, ridden to challenge between last 2, kept on and every chance until no extra final 50 yards, 2nd of 9, 2 1/2l behind Hector's Choice (11-9) at Aintree 2m 4f hcp chs 0-135 (3) gd in Oct.