tracked leader, led 8th, joined 3 out, soon ridden, wandered approaching last, ridden last
led 2nd, headed next, led again 6th, headed 8th, clear with winner and every chance from 3 out, ridden and slightly hampered approaching last, no extra flat
led, headed 2nd, led again next, headed and jumped slowly 6th, lost touch from 8th, left poor 4th from 3 out
in touch until no chance from 7th, ridden 9th, left poor 3rd 3 out
tracked leaders until blundered badly 3rd, fell 5th (water)
in touch when mistake 6th, steady headway after 9th, mistake next, weakening when unseated rider 3 out
A small field which should really concern the top two on the card, Fait Le Jojo and Regal Exit. Fait Le Jojo was rated 3lb superior to his rival over hurdles, but has not yet lived up to that ability over fences. He did score on his fencing bow at Uttoxeter in October, but jumping errors have hampered him a little since, such as when he unseated his pilot when trying to folow-up later that month. Admittedly there is nothing here in the class of Azertyuiop, whom he was thrashed by at Cheltenham last time and he can handle cut, but until he jumps more fluently he looks vulnerable. Therefore the selection is Regal Exit, who scored over course and distance on his chasing debut last month, beating Marcus Maximus one and a half lengths in the process. Nicky Henderson's gelding goes well in soft ground and with the yard in such good form he is taken to improve sufficiently to defeat both Fait Le Jojo and Marcus Maximus, with whom he is 6lb worse off. Greyfield has his first run here since a couple of promising efforts over fences at Taunton in the autumn of 2001. He has run well on soft on the flat, so if he is fit he perhaps has place possibilities.
