chased leaders, lost place 8th, rallied next, chased leading pair approaching 12th where jumped slowly, lost place 13th, struggling when blundered 17th, rallied to poor 4th flat
held up towards rear, headway to chase leaders 3rd, lost place after 11th, tailed off 13th, pulled up soon after
chased leaders, went 2nd 3rd, led 8th until next, chased leader until after 11th, chased leaders, blundered 15th, steadily weakened, tailed off
raced wide towards rear, ridden and struggling before 13th, tailed off
chased leader until approaching 3rd, chased leaders, lost place 8th, taile doff 11th, pulled up before 15th
held up towards rear, headway 11th, went 3rd soon after 4 out, led before 3 out, ridden and headed 3 out, chased leader until ridden before next, stayed on same pace in 3rd
took keen hold, held up in rear, blundered 1st, steady headway 13th, went 3rd 18th, chased leader soon after 4 out, led 3 out, pressed briefly next, 2 lengths ahead last, pushed along and kept on strongly flat
led, mistake 5th, headed 8th, led again next, jumped slowly and headed after 12th, chased leader, hit 4 out, lost 2nd soon after, went poor 4th after 3 out, weakened next
well adrift, mistake 3rd, tailed off when pulled up after 11th
mistake 1st, chased leaders, mistake 11th and went 2nd soon after, led after 12th, ridden and headed before dropped to 3rd briefly before 3 out, rallied to 2nd before next, no chance with winner approaching last
Bolachoir won this in 2008 but has never reproduced that form and was only fifth last year, well behind winner Masked Man. The latter has been pulled up in all three starts since however. Knighton Combe and Hurricane Carter have a lengthy absence to overcome and Merrion Square and Or Sing About have also had a winter break, the former trying a new trip under Rules though he has won over 3m between the flags. Tafika won at Leicester in December but could only finish third here next time while Martys Mission didn't beat much in a Ludlow hunter chase last month. O CROTAIGH looks the one to be on following his nine-length defeat of Patsy Finnegan at Market Rasen. All four of his chase victories so far may have come at the Lincolnshire track but this course is similar in nature.
Knighton Combe 6-1 (10-12) Held up, headway approaching 9th, mistake 2 out, no extra last, weakened flat, 6th of 12, 20l behind Saticon (11-5) at Worcester 2m 7f hcp hdl 0-135 (3) gd in Jun.
Masked Man (IRE) 33-1 (11-2) Behind, struggling and no chance when hampered 8th, tailed off when pulled up approaching 4 out, in a race won by Tafika (10-11) at Leicester 2m 4f hcp chs 0-120 (4) hvy in Dec, 11 ran.
Bolachoir (IRE) 33-1 (11-7) Chased leaders, not fluent 2nd, lost place when not fluent 9th, behind 12th, pulled up before 3 out, in a race won by Gwanako (11-12) at Sandown 3m am chs 0-130 (3) sft in Feb, 8 ran.
Bringbackthebiff (NZ) 10-1 (12-0) (cp) prom til wknd 14, 6th of 12, 21l behind Preacher Boy (12-0) at Countryside Alliance Club 3m ptp gd in Feb.
Hurricane Carter (IRE) 7-1 (11-9) Held up in touch on inside, close up 11th, hit next, mistake 16th, soon lost place, behind when pulled up after 4 out, in a race won by Cardigan Island (10-12) at Southwell 3m 2f hcp chs 0-115 (4) gd in Jun, 8 ran.
Martys Mission (IRE) 5-2fav (11-9) Tracked leaders, lost a few places 8th, headway after 12th, challenged 2 out, led last, stayed on well, won at Ludlow 2m 4f hts chs (6) sft in Feb beating What Of It (11-9) by 4l, 13 ran.
Merrion Square (IRE) 5-2 (10-10) Led until approaching 6th, hit 8th, weakened 2 out, 5th of 7, 26l behind Gus Macrae (9-8) at Aintree 2m hcp chs 0-145 (2) sft in Oct.
O Crotaigh (IRE) 20-1 (11-11) Made all, clear when jumped right and not fluent last 3 fences, stayed on, won at Market Rasen 2m 6f hcp chs 0-115 (4) sft in Feb beating Patsy Finnegan (11-12) by 9l, 10 ran.
Or Sing About (FR) 10-1 (11-10) Chased leaders, pushed along after 5th, reminder after 7th, in rear and badly outpaced 11th, tailed off, 6th of 7, well behind Oscar Leney (10-6) at Southwell 3m hcp 0-100 (5) gd in Nov.
Tafika 8-1 (11-3) Chased leaders, ridden before 3 out, stayed on same pace before next, went modest 3rd flat, 3rd of 10, 15l behind Goring One (10-9) at Sandown 3m hcp chs 0-125 (3) gd in Feb.
