held up last, not fluent 9th, blundered 10th and given time to recover, went 2nd soon after 4 out, plenty to next, closed quickly to lead 2 out, soon clear, easily
tracked (clear) leader, pushed along before 13th, mistake 4 out, soon lost 2nd, weakened, tailed off
raced keenly, jumped well, led at decent pace and soon clear, well clear 3 out until before next, headed and found nil 2 out
Coney Island and More Of That run in the same colours but both of the JP McManus runners have questions to answer. The former is a Grade 1 winner but hasn’t raced since Boxing Day last year while the latter hasn’t won in two years and has gone backwards since finishing sixth in last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup. ADRIEN DU PONT may lack the experience of the other two but is getting plenty of weight and was a high-class hurdler. He’s taken well to fences, winning at Fontwell before travelling strongly for a long way behind Willoughby Court at Newbury, so gets the nod.
Coney Island (IRE) 5-2fav (11-10) Tracked leaders, progress 11th, 3rd 4 out, challenged approaching last and led run-in, kept on under pressure, no extra and headed close home, 2nd of 10, 1/2l behind Our Duke (11-10) at Leopardstown 3m (1) Yielding in Dec.
More Of That (IRE) 4-1 (11-12) Held up in rear, mistake 18th, not fluent 20th, struggling 22nd, pulled up before 25th, at Cheltenham 3m 6f hcp (2) gs in Dec.
Adrien Du Pont (FR) 11-2 (11-1) Took keen hold, tracked leaders in 4th, went 3rd at 5th, 2nd before 4 out, edged left from 2 out, ridden and no impression from 2 out, weakened into 3rd run-in, 3rd of 5, 6 1/2l behind Willoughby Court (11-1) at Newbury 2m 4f (1) gs in Dec.
