disputing lead when fell heavily at 2nd
left clear at 2nd, joint 4 out, clear last, all out flat
behind, jumped slow and lost touch 5th, tailed off
slightly hampered 2nd, close up, joined winner 4 out, disputed 2nd at last, kept on flat
prominent until weakened quickly approaching 4 out, tailed off
left 2nd at 2nd, mistake 3 out, disputing 2nd but looked held when blundered last
Another uninspiring contest in which it is hard to look beyond the likely short-priced favourite No Need For Alarm. The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding was a useful hurdler but promises to be even more effective over the larger obstacles having won three of his four starts over fences to date. Well suited by both trip and ground, the son of Romany Rye should be too classy for these modest rivals and is taken to defy his welter burden. Cybele Eria is a winner of timber but has lost her form of late and lacks chasing experience so is readily passed over while Alka International has had his problems and does not look the force of old on recent evidence so Soeur Fontenail may be the one for the forecast. Nigel Hawke's mare is a course and distance winner and has put up a sequence of consistent efforts of late so looks the main threat to the selection.
