jumped well, held up in last pair, smooth headway to 3rd after 8th, went 2nd on bit approaching 2 out, led 2 out, soon hung right, clear before last, driven out
tracked leaders, jumped slowly 7th, went 2nd next, dropped to 3rd approaching 2 out, weakened to 4th when blundered badly last, eased
jumped right, tracked leaders, mistake 6th, outpaced 9th, stayed on again from 2 out, went 3rd before last
held up in rear, plugged on in 6th but never involved
led, hit 4 out, headed 2 out, chased winner, held when switched left before last
tracked leaders, weakened 3 out, left modest 4th at the last
pressed leader until driven and weakened quickly before 8th, soon behind, tailed off and pulled up before 4 out
held up tracking leaders, weakened quickly after 5th, mistake next, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out
RIO DE SIVOLA has been a bit more on his plate than when winning a four-year-old chase on his UK debut at Warwick but the second has franked the form since and, with A P McCoy in the saddle, Nick Williams' charge is sure to be popular here. He gets the vote but may not represent much in the way of value. Marcus Antonius was flattered by his proximity to Pendra at Lingfield but Captain Paulie is starting to come down the weights again and Orabora may be suited by the switch to fences. Double Handful has been placed in both starts over fences but hasn't raced since June.
Bellenos (FR) 6-1 (11-6) Held up, jumped right 1st, headway on outside 7th, ridden 4 out, weakened next, tailed off, 7th of 11, 43l behind Off The Ground (11-0) at Doncaster 2m 3f hcp chs 0-130 (3) gd in Nov.
Orabora 7-1 (11-1) Held up towards rear, weakened after 3 out, 6th of 7, well behind Knight Of Pleasure (10-13) at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp hdl 0-135 (3) hvy in Nov.
Double Handful (GER) 9-1 (10-12) Mid-division, driven to chase leaders after 5 out, chased winner 3 out, ridden and 3 lengths down in 2nd when hit last, kept on, always held, 2nd of 11, 5l behind Roger Beantown (10-12) at Worcester 2m 4f nov chs (4) gd in Jun.
Marcus Antonius 7-1 (11-0) Tracked leading trio, went 3rd 4th, mistake 5th, went 2nd 8th, held from 2 out, driven and closed on eased down winner flat but never any chance, 2nd of 5, 2 1/2l behind Pendra (11-7) at Lingfield 2m nov chs (4) hvy in Nov.
Rio De Sivola (FR) 8-1 (10-12) Jumped well, jumped big 2nd, made all, pushed along before 2 out, ridden clear approaching last, driven out, won at Warwick 2m 4yo chs (3) gs in Nov beating Roc D'apsis (10-12) by 8l, 4 ran.
Captain Paulie (IRE) 8-1 (10-13) Last pair, pushed along before 5 out, weakened before 3 out, 5th of 10, 23l behind Umberto D'olivate (11-2) at Chepstow 2m 3f hcp chs 0-120 (4) hvy in Nov.
Getting Ready (IRE) 9-1 (11-7) Held up in rear, not fluent 1st or 3rd, ridden and no impression bypassing normal 2 out, 8th of 10, 22l behind Open Day (11-2) at Leicester 2m hcp hdl 0-125 (3) sft in Nov '12.
Pasture Bay (IRE) 10-1 (10-9) Held up, headway 4th, ridden 9th, losing place when pulled up before next, in a race won by Avoca Promise (11-3) at Huntingdon 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-125 (3) sft in Oct, 8 ran.
