Poquelin heads Paddy Power weights Poquelin will concede upwards of 6lb to his rivals if he lines up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on November 13. The Paul Nicholls-trained seven-year-old is set to shoulder 11st 12lb after chasing home Tranquil Sea in the race 12 months ago. Last year's winner will carry 11st 5lb if he takes his chance and is one of three possibles for trainer Edward O'Grady, whose Catch Me (10st 5lb) and Osana (11st 2lb) are also in the shake-up. Ante-post favourite Long Run, trained by Nicky Henderson, is burdened by 11st 6lb. However, regular rider Sam Waley-Cohen believes the five-year-old is better than ever this season. "If he's running off around 11 and a half stone, that's a perfectly respectable racing weight especially as I can claim," said the amateur jockey. "In all of the previous races that I've ridden him, I haven't been able to so that's a big boost. "He's only a five-year-old but he's a big, strong horse so he's perfectly capable of carrying weight and if Poquelin did come out, it wouldn't be a disaster. "He jumped a few poles in the indoor school on Monday and was excellent and seems to remember how to jump. "It was the first time that he has jumped since the Cheltenham Festival and he seemed better than he has ever been and it was very positive. "He has done incredibly well over the summer and has come back more mature both physically and mentally. "I always go into every race extremely hopeful and while the Paddy Power is a very competitive race, if he can put together his best form and get a clear run on the day, he is going to take plenty of beating." Edgbriar (10st 7lb) also has the Grade Three feature as an option. Trainer Paul Webber said: "Dominic (Elsworth) schooled him on Tuesday morning and we haven't entirely made our mind up whether to return to Cheltenham or save him until the Becher or Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree the following week. "He would be racing off a cracking weight in the Paddy Power Gold Cup but we will just have to wait and have a look what the potential line-up might be." Great Endeavour (10st 4lb), representing David Pipe, and the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Sunnyhillboy (10st 1lb), also feature prominently in the betting. Sponsors bet: 7-2 Long Run, 5-1 Great Endeavour, 6-1 Sunnyhillboy, 10-1 Mad Max, 12-1 Tranquil Sea, Catch Me, Poquelin, 14-1 Massini's Maguire, Osana, 16-1 Dave's Dream, Noble Alan, Noland, Tchico Polos, 20-1 bar
