chased winner until 12th, stayed in 3rd, hit 13th, went 2nd again 15th, no chance with winner, tailed off
held up and off the pace, mistake 3rd, steady headway from 6th, 4th from 9th, went 3rd next, chased winner 12th, mistake 14th, no impression when dropped to 3rd next, struggling when fell 3 out
raced keenly, made virtually all, blundered 3rd, hit 13th, clear 15th, hit 2 out
chased leaders until 6th, struggling in 5th before 10th, soon behind, tailed off when unseated rider 15th
held up off the pace in 5th, closer order 4th, went 3rd 6th until 10th, weakened 14th, tailed off when pulled up soon after
chased leaders early, behind when blundered 8th, lost touch from 12th, tailed off 14th and and pulled up soon after
held up in 6th and off the pace, mistake 5th, driven after 10th, headway next to 4th at 14th, left poor 3rd 3 out, closed to press for modest 2nd flat, never any chance with winner
Song Of Songs would have been hard to beat in his prime but he appeared to lose his enthusiasm last season and first-time blinkers on his return from a long lay-off are a worrying sign over a trip that may be beyond his best. Preference, therefore, is for Alan Hill's DANTE'S STORM who returned from an enforced absence to stretch his winning run to seven in the point-to-point field with victory at Cottenham last month when Mount Sandel was a well-beaten third - he has already been backed for next month's Cheltenham Foxhunters. Jack's Present won a novice riders' event at the same course on the same day but could get found out in this better grade.
Mount Sandel (IRE) 6-1 (12-0) Prog 11; went 2nd 3 out; mist nxt; dem cl home, 3rd of 8, 26l behind Dante's Storm (12-0) at Detling 3m ptp gs in Jan.
Song of Songs 5-1 (11-7) Held up in mid-division, headway approaching 2 out, soon chased leaders, ridden and 2 lengths down in 3rd when blundered last, no extra, 4th of 13, 11l behind Ashkazar (11-12) at Cheltenham 2m 1f hcp hdl 0-140 (2) gd in Apr.
Dante's Storm 4-6 (12-0) A gng wl; led 6; drew wl clr 3 out, won at Detling 3m ptp gs in Jan beating Control Man (12-0) by 25l, 8 ran.
Flowersoftherarest (IRE) 5-1 (12-0) (cp) cl up til lost plce 12, 6th of 12, 22l behind Freddies Return (12-7) at Charing 3m ptp gd in Jan.
In The System (IRE) 5-2 (12-0) (cp) ww; hdwy to ld 15; hdd 3 out; kpt on wl flat, 3rd of 9, 1/2l behind What Of It (12-0) at Charing 3m ptp gd in Jan.
Snakebite (IRE) 9-1 (11-8) Prominent, lost place when not fluent 3rd, not fluent and behind from 8th, tailed off when pulled up before 5 out, in a race won by Chance Du Roy (11-8) at Chepstow 2m 3f hcp chs 0-125 (3) gd in Mar, 7 ran.
Jack's Present (IRE) 5-1 (11-7) Ap; lft in ld 14; drvn clr flat, won at Detling 3m ptp gs in Jan beating Sole Agent (12-0) by 3l, 7 ran.
