pulled hard headway to track leader 3rd, led 5 out, hit 3 out and soon headed, eased and pulled up before next
keen tracked leaders, went 2nd 3 out, led soon after, headed 2 out, kept on one pace, lost 2nd close home
tracked leaders, ridden 3 out, kept on to go 2nd close home, no threat to easy winner
in touch, ridden 3 out, weakened soon after next
in touch, headway 3 out, led next, clear last, soon eased, easily
led, hung left paddock bend, headed 5 out, stumbled 3 out, weakened 2 out
in rear, some headway 2 out, weakened before next
keen tracked leaders, lost place 3rd, weakened before 2 out
Donald McCain won this last year but Hexham bumper winner Luccombe Down hasn't shown much in two starts over hurdles though there should be more to come. Up The Bees, a well-supported debut winner of a Wetherby bumper last March, was well beaten on his hurdling debut at Hexham in November and hasn't run since though is another expected to do better. WOLF SWORD landed a Sedgefield bumper and has finished runner-up in his last three starts over timber. This looks his easiest task to date and a first success looks on the cards. Cherry Princess scored at Epsom for Stuart Williams last summer but appears to need a very fast surface and may struggle on her hurdling bow.
Bach To Before (IRE) 10-1 (12-0) Led 1 til rn out 7, in a race won by Breath Of Blighty (10-7) at Tedworth 2m 4f ptp gd in Apr, 9 ran.
John Williams (IRE) 22-1 (10-10) Tracked leader, lost place over 5f out, weakened 3f out, 10th of 11, 49l behind Big River (10-12) at Kelso 2m NH flat (6) gs in Mar.
Luccombe Down 14-1 (10-10) Mid-division, reminder after 5th, effort and ridden after 4 out, 3rd 3 out, weakened before last, 4th of 8, 28l behind Cardinal Walter (11-10) at Doncaster 2m 3f nh nov hdl (4) gd in Feb.
Up The Bees 2-1fav (11-0) Chased leaders, ridden and weakened before last, 6th of 14, well behind It's High Time (11-0) at Hexham 2m NH mdn hdl (5) gs in Nov.
Wolf Sword (IRE) 7-2fav (10-7) Tracked leaders, headway before 5 out, led before
Desert Island Dusk 125-1 (10-8) Tracked leaders, quickly pulled up after 3rd, in a race won by Antilope Du Seuil (10-7) at Perth 2m 4f mdn hdl (4) gd in Apr, 16 ran.
Cherry Princess 8-1 (9-3) Tracked leader, under pressure when hung badly left over 1f out, eased closing stages, 7th of 13, 6l behind Hernando Torres (9-7) at Wolverhampton 1m 1f hcp 0-60 (6) in Jan (flat).
Lady Vivona 40-1 (10-5) Held up in touch, outpaced after 3 out, weakened from next, last of 6, well behind Tara Mist (11-4) at Perth 2m mares NH nov hdl (4) gd in Apr.
