Haldon Gold Cup Ideal For Politologue

Paul Ferguson fancies the Nicholls runner for Exeter

- Paul Ferguson

Paul Nicholls and owner John Hales enjoyed Haldon Gold Cup success in 2004 when the top-class Azertyuiop was victorious and they can strike again, with POLITOLOGUE fancied to provide the trainer with his sixth win in the race.

The grey won three of his first four starts last term – the defeat coming at Haydock when trying to concede 3lbs to Waiting Patiently when he was probably set alight too far from home – he was unlucky in Aintree’s Maghull Novices’ Chase on Grand National day, form that has already been franked this season.

Headstrong as usual, he took the race by the scruff of the neck early in the home straight and looked the likeliest winner when jumping the last, only to stumble several strides after the fence. Eventual second Forest Bihan has already made a winning reappearance at Kelso, where he scored off 154, the same mark that Politologue will run off at Exeter (November 7).

The drop back to this sort of trip will prove advantageous until he learns to settle a little more and this looks the ideal starting point to what could prove to be a successful second season over fences.

Three days earlier the staying chasers will take centre stage up at Wetherby in the Charlie Hall, but the Gold Cup picture might be more in focus over in Ireland, with Down Royal staging the JNWine.com Champion Chase on the same day.

The entries came out for this race recently and two most interesting are Our Duke and Disko, both Grade 1 winning novices last term. The former scored at the top level over Christmas and, after going down narrowly to Disko over 2m5½f in the Flogas Novice Chase, recorded a high-class handicap performance in the Irish Grand National, scoring off a mark of 153. A strong stayer, the seven-year-old looks just the type to develop into a genuine Gold Cup contender this winter and he might well be up to making a winning reappearance.