keen early, held up behind in touch, outpaced 8th, soon struggling, weakened 4 out, pulled up before next
tended to jump left, tracked leading pair, lost place 4 out, weakened next
held up behind in touch, headway 4 out, went 2nd next, ridden and every chance when not fluent last, kept on flat, held towards finish
held up in 4th, effort to chase winner 4 out to next, soon ridden and no impression, weakened and lost moderate 3rd 2 out
held up in 5th, lost place and dropped to rear 5th, soon lost touch, pulled up next
led, headed 4 out, soon lost place, stayed on to go moderate 3rd 2 out, no chance with leading pair
tracked leader, hit 7th, led 4 out, ridden after next, blundered and rider lost iron 2 out, kept on under pressure flat
Pepe Simo won at Sandown in November and landed a gamble in a jumpers' bumper on the all-weather track here last month. He's clearly useful but will have to be to give 13lb to NADIYA DE LA VEGA. A winner over hurdles in France around this time last year, the mare easily won what looked a competitive novice event at Warwick on her UK debut and is greatly favoured by race conditions here. Chain Of Command has done nothing wrong this term and is sure to run his race again. But, like fellow C&D winner Dee Ee Williams, may just find a couple of these too good at the weights.
Chain Of Command (IRE) 11-2 (11-0) Held up in rear, headway 4f out, led just over 1f out, ridden out, won at Kempton 2m Nat Hunt Flat (4yo+) (AWT) (4) std in Dec beating Alwaysonthemove (11-0) by 1 1/2l, 10 ran.
Dee Ee Williams (IRE) 10-1 (11-6) Led until 4th, disputing 4th when blundered and unseated rider 10th, in a race won by Ghizao (11-10) at Newbury 2m 2f nov chs (3) gs in Dec, 9 ran.
Pepe Simo (IRE) Evensfav (11-0) Tracked leaders, slightly hampered after 1f, went 2nd 4f out, led on bit just over 1f out, easily, won at Kempton 2m Nat Hunt Flat (4yo+) (AWT) (4) std in Dec beating Noland (11-0) by 1 1/4l, 9 ran.
Gus Macrae (IRE) 10-3 (11-0) Tracked leaders, lost place 5th, tailed off from 3 out, 8th of 9, well behind Dan Breen (11-0) at Bangor 2m 1f nov chs (4) gs in Dec.
Quasar d'Oudairies (FR) 3-1 (11-0) Chased leading pair, close 3rd when hampered and unseated rider 6th, in a race won by Dee Ee Williams (11-0) at Kempton 2m nov chs (3) gd in Nov, 3 ran.
Sambulando (FR) 9-4fav (11-9) Tracked leader 2nd until 9th, challenging when blundered 3 out, soon one pace, last of 5, 19l behind Betabob (10-0) at Ffos Las 2m nov hcp chs 0-130 (3) gs in Nov.
Nadiya De La Vega (FR) 11-10fav (10-3) Made all, hit 3 out, clear before next, eased towards finish, won at Warwick 2m 4yo nov chs (3) gs in Nov beating Sir Du Bearn (10-10) by 13l, 5 ran.
