chased leader, led 2nd, made rest, ridden before 2 out, stayed on to assert before the last
chased leaders, jumped slowly 7th, left in 3rd place next, hit 10th and dropped to 4th, went 2nd 14th, every chance 2 out, ridden and no extra when hit last
led until 2nd, chased winner until before 6th, chased leaders, left 2nd 8th, mistake and lost 2nd 14th, modest 3rd and ridden 3 out, plugged on
chased leaders, hit 3rd, 2nd before 6th until fell 8th
ran in snatches, in touch, not fluent 6th, closer next, hampered and left in 4th place 8th, went 3rd 11th, pushed along before 4 out, ridden when mistake and weakened 3 out, blundered badly and unseated rider last
held up, hampered 8th, closer 13th, weakened and mistake 3 out
Rear Admiral beat Saffron Wells by six lengths over 2m5f here last month but is 5lb worse off today so there may not be much to choose between the pair. Troika Steppes won an amateur riders’ race at Cheltenham in October but FINGERONTHESWITCH (NAP) was cantering in midfield when falling on the final circuit that day. He’s since won at Wetherby and can be excused his run in the BetBright Chase at Kempton last time - he could outclass these if on a going day. Beeves is a stayer so may find things happening too quickly around here and Adam Du Breteau is hard to catch right.
Beeves (IRE) 22-1 (11-1) Prominent, led 8th, headed approaching 4 out, rallied next, weakened last, 5th of 13, 7 1/4l behind Dancing Shadow (10-9) at Musselburgh 4m 1f hcp (2) gd in Feb.
Fingerontheswitch (IRE) 12-1 (10-4) Held up towards rear, headway on inside before 3 out, run flattened out approaching next, 7th of 13, 13 1/4l behind Pilgrims Bay (10-2) at Kempton 3m hcp (1) gd in Feb.
Adam du Breteau (FR) 3-1fav (11-9) Tracing leading pair when hampered and lost place 2nd, brief rally approaching 13th, weakened next, soon behind, tailed off and eased, 7th of 8, dist behind La Vaticane (12-2) at Doncaster 3m hcp (3) gd in Dec.
Troika Steppes 2-1 (12-5) Mistake 1st, chased leader and clear of rest, not fluent 10th, led approaching 12th, clear 15th, awkward next, headed 17th, chased leader until 3 out, soon ridden and no impression in 3rd, dropped to 4th when blundered last and eventually unseated rider, at Sandown 3m (3) sft in Feb.
Saffron Wells (IRE) 9-2 (11-12) Held up in rear but in touch, mistake 6th, weakened 8th, rallied before 3 out, soon chasing leaders, kept on well under pressure, 2nd of 6, 6l behind Rear Admiral (11-4) at Fakenham 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Feb.
Rear Admiral (IRE) 16-1 (11-4) Held up in rear, headway 4 out, chased leaders next, led approaching last, stayed on well, won at Fakenham 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Feb beating Saffron Wells (11-12) by 6l, 6 ran.
