Neptune Collonges and Noland are two sides of the same coin

Plenty of people had written off Neptune Collonges before last weekend's Cheltenham win and they could make the same mistake with Noland, says Paul Nicholls

Last weekend showed us never to write off a horse after one moderate run.

So I wouldn't be in a rush to pack off Noland into retirement just yet after his admittedly disappointing run at Cheltenham last week, where he was pulled up four out after never really going.

AP got off the horse and said not to retire him, and to send him over 3m next.

So we are going to send him for the Aon next week, and see what that race tells us.

I was quite open before his comeback jumps run last week that I thought he would need it, despite finishing second in a Jumpers' Bumper, though of course he ran very poorly.

But last week also illustrated that horses can, and do, bounce back after a poor run; step forward Neptune Collonges. It was great to see him win at Cheltenham.

Unfortunately we have since had a minor scare with the horse.

Neptune came back a little sore after the race, and had a badly swollen off fore joint on Monday morning.

So we got Buffy in to do an X-ray straight away.

That revealed nothing untoward, and he will have done a week's walking prior to having another X-ray on Monday morning.

If that is fine, then he will carry on back in work, with the Gold Cup his next target.

I talk about my Grand National entries elsewhere, but Neptune was raised 6lb after last week's win to 168.

So I would think he would have too much weight for the Grand National, and that he will go to the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown, a race he has won twice, after Cheltenham.

But I suppose I could be pleasantly surprised at the National Weights Lunch on February 15.

Paul's columns on his weekend runners will go live at 8:00 on Saturday morning

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Paul Nicholls / 4 Feb 2011

Neptune Collonges and Noland are two sides of the same coin

Ante-Post Plans / Paul Nicholls / 04 February 2011 / 1

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Neptune's run at Cheltenham last weekend showed you should never write off

"last week also illustrated that horses can, and do, bounce back after a poor run; step forward Neptune Collonges. It was great to see him win at Cheltenham.