RACING:ANDY STEWART'S Poquelin will have to shrug off the burden of 11st 12lb if he is to provide his owner with victory in his own race, the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup at Cheltenham on December 10th.
Winner of the contest 12 months ago when he beat Great Endeavour (11st 1lb), he will need to defy a 5lb higher mark. Stewart also has an interest in Ghizao (10st 12lb), whom he owns in partnership with David Johnson, the owner of Great Endeavour.
As well as Poquelin and Ghizao, Paul Nicholls could also run Woolcombe Folly (11st 8lb), Royal Charm (10st 3lb) and Aerial (9st 12lb). David Pipe’s Great Endeavour landed the Paddy Power and came up just short in the Hennessy when his stamina ran out. Pipe may also be represented by I’msingingtheblues (10st 10lb) and Matuhi (9st 13lb).
Paddy Power Gold Cup runner-up Quantitativeeasing (10st 3lb) is one of five potential runners for Nicky Henderson alongside Nadiya De La Vega (10st), Surfing (10st 8lb), Forzy Origny (9st 12lb) and Aigle D’Or (9st 7lb).
Ferdy Murphy’s Divers (10st) won over the course and distance at the Festival in March and was third in the Paddy Power on ground softer than ideal.
“Divers is in great form. We are just hoping that there is not too much rain at Cheltenham before next weekend and we are very happy with him at the moment,” said Murphy. “We were very pleased with his run in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. He went there in fantastic form and had improved a lot for his seasonal return at Carlisle (October 30th), but the rain made the ground a bit too tacky for him.”
The six Irish-trained contenders include the Willie Mullins-trained trio of Quel Esprit (10st 6lb), Quiscover Fontaine (9st 13lb) and Apt Approach (10st 2lb) plus this year’s Irish Grand National victor Organisedconfusion (10st 3lb), from the stable of Arthur Moore.
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