led, blundered 3rd, soon headed, mistake 5th, pushed along before 4 out, weakened before next
held up towards rear, pushed along after 5 out, headway before and mistake 4 out, chased winner before 2 out, lost 2nd place and no extra last 75 yards
slowly away, detached in rear, soon caught up group, pushed along 5 out, soon weakened and tailed off, soon pulled up
with leader, led before 4th, headed before 4 out, ridden and weakened before last
held up in touch, with leader 6th, went 2nd before 4 out, ridden before 2 out, stayed on to chase winner last 75 yards, held towards finish
tracked leaders in 3rd, led before 4 out, ridden before last, kept on well towards finish
Having been pulled up for the third time in a row at Ayr last month, the once-useful Diamond Frontier has a bit to prove now. LEASE LEND won over C&D off a higher mark in January last year and has performed respectably in his two starts here over further following a lay-off. Tim Easterby's gelding can recapture the winning thread in this with question marks also hanging over Pret A Thou and Best Lover. Carlisle runner-up Rossini's Dancer warrants respect, however, though lacks consistency while Prosecco won easily at Ayr last month though is now on a career-high mark.
Pret A Thou (FR) 66-1 (9-12) Prominent, not fluent 1st, went 2nd 6th until before 11th, 7th and weakening when mistake 4 out, tailed off, 8th of 10, well behind Bless The Wings (10-11) at Newbury 2m 4f hcp chs (2) gs in Nov.
Lease Lend 8-1 (10-11) Held up towards rear, not fluent 8th and next, headway after 5 out, chased leading pair 3 out, stayed on to 3rd last until post, 4th of 11, 7l behind Bless The Wings (11-2) at Wetherby 2m 4f listed hcp chs (1) gs in Nov.
Best Lover (FR) 20-1 (11-0) Pressed leader to 2nd, reminders after next, behind when mistake 4th, soon lost touch and pulled up, in a race won by Doeslessthanme (11-11) at Ayr 2m hcp chs (2) gd in Apr, 9 ran.
Diamond Frontier (IRE) 40-1 (11-5) Led until after 7th, weakened before 4 out, pulled up after, in a race won by Prosecco (10-0) at Ayr 2m hcp chs 0-135 (3) sft in Nov, 8 ran.
Rossini's Dancer 9-2 (11-9) Tracked leader, led 4th, headed 6th, led again 11th, not fluent 5 out, soon headed, lost 2nd before 3 out, chased winner after last, kept on, 2nd of 4, 1 3/4l behind Whats Up Woody (11-4) at Carlisle 2m 4f hcp chs 0-120 (4) sft in Nov.
Prosecco (IRE) 11-4 (10-0) Chased leaders, lost place 3rd, headway 6th, not fluent 4 out, jumped right and led 2 out, stayed on well, won at Ayr 2m hcp chs 0-135 (3) sft in Nov beating Bocciani (10-12) by 10l, 8 ran.
