chased leader, every chance 4th, weakened approaching 2 out
led after first, headed and pecked 4th, weakened quickly
mid-division, mistake 2nd and soon lost place
always prominent, led approaching 2 out, stayed on well
close up, chased winner approaching 2 out, kept on same pace
held up and behind, headway after 4th, weakened 2 out
mid-division, ridden from 3rd, weakened and tailed off from next
held up, headway 4th, soon ridden and weakened
soon mid-division, headway 4th, ridden 2 out, 3rd and beaten when jumped left last
prominent until weakened after 4th
held up, headway 4th, 6th and beaten when blundered 2 out, soon eased
always behind, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out
held up and behind, steady headway from 4th, kept on same pace from approaching 2 out
Some potentially useful hurdlers on view and Unleash is taken to take the honours. The son of Benny The Dip was a progressive stayer on the level for Sir Mark Prescott last year, winding up with a BHB mark of 93. The four-year-old faced a stiffish task on his hurdling bow when contesting a valuable conditions event against more experienced rivals at Sandown earlier in the month. However, he still managed a creditable third and should prove hard to beat at this level with the outing under his belt. The selection has nothing to fear from Allude who finished a further 16 lengths behind at the Esher venue and is no better off at the weights. Don Valentino, a winner in his native Poland, is hard to assess but a third in the Polish Derby suggests that he can take a hand in a race of this nature so merits plenty of respect on his hurdling bow. Fortune Island was disappointing on his sole start to date while King Solomon appeared on the downgrade on the level last term.
