chased leaders, driven along 3f out, switched outside and headway over 2f out, ran on well inside final furlong, led post
slowly into stride and behind, ridden and outpaced halfway, never dangerous
slowly into stride, soon behind and outpaced, ridden 2f out, stayed on under pressure final furlong, never troubled leaders
ridden and headed over 1f out, kept on same pace final furlong
chased leaders, ridden to lead over 1f out, kept on under pressure final furlong, headed post
chased leader, ridden and lost place over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
Martin Todhunter has done well with his flat horses recently and Almaty Express is taken to give him another winner, with Danehill Fairy and Bowland Bride rated the main dangers. The selection was far from disgraced behind the useful Alpaga Le Jomage at Musselburgh on Monday in a better race than this and a reproduction of that effort, or of his previous start when a close third to Our Louis in similar company to today's, should suffice. Nerys Dutfield's Danehill Fairy has shown enough to suggest that she can pick up a small race like this, while Bowland Bride hails from a stable that has been among the winners recently but is far from certain to be suited by the drop back in trip. A bigger threat then may come from David Barker's Brut, who seemed not to handle the soft ground at Newcastle last time but who has previously run well in an Ayr maiden. None of the others make much appeal and, unless the newcomer Dispol In Mind proves to be better than average, this should go to Almaty Express.
