held up, ridden and some headway when hit 3 out, weakened next, pulled up before last
led until headed 3rd, remained close up, ridden and weakened from 3 out
held up, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
held up, ridden after 4 out, soon weakened
tracked leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, no extra approaching last
towards rear, ridden and headway approaching 3 out, soon weakened, pulled up before 2 out
prominent, ridden approaching 3 out, went 2nd approaching 2 out, kept on, no chance with winner
mid-division, went prominent 3rd, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened next
with leader, led 4 out, ridden and clear approaching 2 out, not fluent last, kept on well
always behind, hit 4 out, tailed off when pulled up approaching next
prominent, led narrowly 3rd until next, weakened approaching 2 out, pulled up before last
in rear, ridden after 4 out, tailed off when pulled up before next
tracked leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
A poor seller where L'Etang Bleu will appreciate the drop in class and can prove good enough to win if he can get through the ground. He has run well on very soft in France earlier in his career, though not quite so well on heavy, but he has plummeted down the handicap and ran well enough off 80 at Exeter before Christmas to suggest that he can win this if he can cut out the sort of blunder he made at the final flight last time. Beeches Girl was well beaten into third from a fair way out here last time and though she looks a one-pacer, she handled similar conditions very well, so she could again make the frame. A more lively threat to the selection is No Mercy, who has been kept busy on both the all weather and the hurdles during the winter and put in a good showing on bottomless ground at Plumpton on his penultimate start, suggesting he can be involved here. Laurel Prince is firmly on the downgrade and the best of his form is on faster ground, so he looks to be up against it here. However, a case can be made for Golden Gravel, who is dropped 10lbs here and has been given a squeak after being given no chance by the handicapper on his last two starts. A course winner in the mud last month, he is still 6lbs higher than that victory but if he can reproduce that sort of run then he would have every chance.
