prominent, pushed along and outpaced 4 out, ridden approaching next, went 2nd after last, no chance with winner
jumped left throughout, held up, headway on bit after 4 out, shaken up to go clear after last, easily
led, headed 5 out, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
not fluent, always behind, tailed off from 6th
tracked leaders, led 5 out, hit and headed 3 out, weakened approaching last
held up in rear, headway when not fluent 4 out, ridden approaching next, weakened approaching 2 out
in touch, not fluent 6th, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
held up in mid-division, hit 5 out, headway next, soon ridden, weakened after last
tracked leader and keen, hit 2nd, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened approaching last
held up, tailed off from 7th
Heather Dalton's Terre de Java lost no caste in defeat behind the capable Mr Ed on his British hurdling debut over course and distance last month and has to be respected but the French-bred gelding faces some decent rivals today and may have to settle for a minor role behind Classic Native, who gets the verdict over Jonjo O'Neill's Le Grand Rocher. The selection showed high-class form in National Hunt flat races last term including when landing the bumper here at the Grand National meeting. The son of Be my Native is sure to have been well schooled and it will be a surprise if he is not good enough to make a winning start to his hurdling career. Stablemate Le Grand Rocher showed signs of ability on his debut in bumper-company when last seen and has to be respected but has a long lay off to overcome. Of more interest could be the hurdling debutante Inglis Drever, a 96-rated staying handicapper on the flat when with Sir Mark Prescott, who has joined the Howard Johnson stable that has made a good start to the current campaign. He rates a bigger threat than either the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Vicar's Lad or Nicky Henderson's Thames, who is strictly held by the selection on running here last April. All in all a decent novices' hurdle but Classic Native gets the vote to win it.
