Tornado among six Irish entries

There are six Irish-trained horses including Dancing Tornado among the 18 left in at the five-day stage for the Vote AP Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The Michael Hourigan-trained gelding ran a cracker when runner-up to Little Josh in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Prestbury Park last month, and he will now be hoping to turn the tables on Nigel Twiston-Davies charge.

Finger Onthe Pulse, owned like Dancing Tornado by J P McManus, is also among the entries, while the other Irish-trained possibles are Tony Martin's pair Psycho and Northern Alliance, Noel Glynn's Gonebeyondrecall and Paul Magnier's Duers.

Last year's winner Poquelin heads the weights on 11st 12lb, 4lb more than he carried when successful 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, while Little Josh's stablemate Pigeon Island is also entered.

Nicky Henderson fields a strong double act in Paddy Power fourth Mad Max and course winner Dave's Dream, while David Pipe is also two-handed with Great Endeavour and Matuhi.

The line-up is completed by the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Sunnyhillboy, 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."

Ladbrokes bet: 6 Daves Dream, Little Josh, 7 Robinson Collonges, 8 Great Endeavour, Mad Max, 9 Sunnyhillboy, Dancing Tornado, 10 Psycho, 16 Poquelin, 20 bar (1/4 odds 1,2,3,4)