We'll take Ela Re to land what is not the most competitive of handicap hurdles here, with No Greater Love an obvious threat and Onefourfun and English City considered. Ela Re has dropped back to a very handy mark here and has both trip and ground conditions in his favour. He does go well fresh and so has a few points of recommendation and is taken to score. No Greater Love gets every yard of this trip and acts on a sound surface, and is also in decent form at present, but keeps going up in the weights for not winning and is therefore opposed. Onefourfun is relatively lightly raced and there may well be more to come, but you have to forgive him a stinker last time if you are prepared to stump up the hard-earned, though trip and ground both suit. English City looks best of the others but is a little to high in the weights at present and preference is for Ela Re.
Cosmic String (IRE) 50-1 (10-2) Soon struggling in rear, tailed off when pulled up 4 out in race won by Eden Linty (10-11) at Newbury 3m hcp hdl 0-140 (2) gs in Nov, 20 ran.
Red Wine 13-2 (11-0) Tracked leaders until weakened after 2 out, 9th of 27, 14l behind Spectroscope (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 1f 4yo hdl Grd 1 (A) gd in Mar '03.
Ela Re 7-1 (11-4) Unruly start, in rear, headway on outside after 6th, weakened before 3 out, 7th of 11, 23l behind Dishdasha (11-3) at Uttoxeter 2m hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gs in May.
Forever Dream 14-1 (11-1) Chased leader, led 5th, ridden, headed last, weakened flat, 6th of 11, 7l behind Moon Catcher (11-1) at Worcester 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gf in Jun '06.
No Greater Love (FR) 8-1 (10-3) Tracked leaders, ridden to challenge approaching 2 out, ran on flat, 2nd of 11, 3/4l behind Esprit de Corps (11-10) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-120 (3) gd in Nov.
English City (IRE) 13-2 (11-2) Mid-division, headway approaching 7th, ridden after 8th, challenge for 2nd from 2 out until last, no extra, 3rd of 18, 9l behind Risk Runner (11-12) at Uttoxeter 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gd in Nov.
Mr Shambles 7-2 (10-9) Led, hung left and headed briefly from 5th to 6th, headed 3 out, soon weakened, 7th of 9, 29l behind Karathaena (10-9) at Market Rasen 2m 3f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) sft.
Onefourfun (IRE) 4-1 (11-9) Held up, headway 6th, chased winner approaching 3 out, weakened soon after, 7th of 14, 31l behind Tayman (10-6) at Folkestone 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-105 (4) gf in Oct.
Top Achiever (IRE) 100-1 (11-1) Chased leaders to 6th, soon behind, 15th of 17, 43l behind Joan's Girl (11-3) at Catterick 2m 3f cnd hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gs in Nov '06.
Malech (IRE) 16-1 (11-3) Held up towards rear, headway approaching 2 out, never able to challenge, 5th of 17, 11l behind Breaking Shadow (11-5) at Catterick 2m sll hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gd.
Medic (IRE) 11-1 (10-10) Behind, blundered 7th, never dangerous, 9th of 15, 27l behind Singhalongtasveer (11-8) at Catterick 2m 3f cnd hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gd.
Rojabaa 33-1 (10-11) Reluctant to start, in rear and unseated rider at the 2nd in race won by Primitive Academy (11-3) at Leicester 2m hcp hdl 0-100 (4) gf, 15 ran.
