racing_news/

Poquelin Retains the Vote A P Gold Cup
11/12/10

1 Poquelin 16/1
2 Great Endeavour 13/2
3 Sunnyhillboy 9/1
4 Calgary Bay 16/1
16 ran Distances: 1l, 6l, l
TIME 5m 10.26s (slow by 3.26s)

Poquelin defied the history books to become the only horse ever to land the Vote AP Gold Cup at Cheltenham twice following his win last year.

Poquelin
Grossick Racing Photography

Carrying top weight of 11st 12lb, less jockey Ian Popham's 5lb claim, the seven-year-old took up the running approaching the second-last, but Great Endeavour ed him and looked as if he was going to add to his Old Roan against Monet's Garden and I thought the handicapper was a bit harsh - but he has been proved right and he has run to his true mark today.

"He won't go for handicaps now - he'll go straight for the Ryanair again."

Popham added: "It's a dream to ride horses like this and he made my life so easy, he travelled and jumped so well.

"The plan was to go down the inner the whole way - turning into the straight we got a nice gap and he really flew up the straight. The ground was the key to him today, he zips off this better ground."