held up in 5th, headway to chase leading pair 4 out, effort next, soon ridden, kept on same pace under pressure from next, no impression approching last
held up in 6th, headway to track leader 4 out, challenged next, every chance when hit 2 out, soon ridden, 3 lengths down last, stayed on under pressure to lead flat
led narrowly to 10th, chased leader, lost place 4 out, weakened next
tracked leaders, reminder after 9th, lost place 11th, weakened from 4 out
held up in rear, mistake 4th, blundered 10th, 5th and outpaced when mistake 4 out, never near leaders
tracked leaders, mistake 11th, soon ridden and outpaced, weakened after 4 out
with leader, led 10th, hard pressed 3 out, stayed on to go 3 lengths clear when not fluent last, ridden and headed flat, no extra
Nonrunner
It's hard to be confident about any of the runners in this race and it's by no means impossible that this could go to Oponce who was in the process of running a big race on his chase bow when unseating three from home; the slight glitch is that that run came back in 2008 so the nominal vote goes to ALTERANTHELA. He has something to prove over this trip on this ground as he makes his chase bow but he should at least prove adept at this discipline having already won an Irish point. Forget It is another newcomer to chasing who could conceivably improve for the switch whilst stablemate Cockatoo isn't badly treated if he can recapture his best form. Bushwacker, Itea Du Fau and Lordsbridge have it to prove but can't be ignored in a race of this nature.
Lordsbridge (USA) 10-1 (11-5) Held up mid-division on inside, pushed along and weakened approaching 3 out, 10th of 15, well behind Cantabilly (11-3) at Exeter 2m 3f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gd in Oct.
Forget It 11-2 (11-8) Always towards rear, weakened from 5th, 6th of 11, 18l behind Cruchain (11-12) at Huntingdon 2m hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gd in Oct.
Alteranthela (IRE) 11-1 (10-8) Towards rear on outside, pushed along 5th, hampered and behind next, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Chaim (10-11) at Towcester 3m hcp hdl 0-120 (3) sft in Mar, 13 ran.
Cockatoo (USA) 10-1 (11-11) Bumped 2nd, soon in last pair, struggling in rear 10th, tailed off and soon pulled up, in a race won by Double The Trouble (11-1) at Fontwell 2m 6f hcp chs 0-115 (4) gd in Apr, 7 ran.
Bushwacker (IRE) 8-1 (11-7) Soon led, mistake 6th, soon headed, weakened before 3 out, 5th of 7, 31l behind Woodlark Island (11-3) at Kempton 2m hcp chs 0-115 (4) gd in Oct.
Itea Du Fau (FR) 16-1 (11-12) Chased leaders, reminders after 7th, weakened 11th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out, in a race won by Chicago Alley (10-5) at Market Rasen 2m 4f 5yo nov hcp (4) gd in May, 13 ran.
Solitary Palm (IRE) 9-1 (11-0) Prominent, lost place 6th, ridden next, weakened approaching 3 out, 9th of 12, 38l behind Rifleman (10-5) at Worcester 3m hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gd in May.
Oponce (FR) 20-1 (11-9) Rear of mid-division, headway 6th, disputing close 2nd when blundered and unseated rider 3 out, in a race won by Ballybough Jack (11-9) at Uttoxeter 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-100 (4) gs in Jul '08, 12 ran.
