held up in rear, blundered badly 1st, unseated rider next
prominent, led 4th, headed 5th, jumped right 9th, led 11th, headed 13th, stayed pressing winner, held flat, plugged on
prominent, bumped 1st, led next, jumped left and bumped 3rd, headed when not fluent 4th, mistake 5th, weakening when mistake 3 out
held up in rear, not fluent 9th or 11th, headway 12th, 4th and beaten from 3 out
in rear, not fluent and cajoled along 4th, ridden after 11th, struggling 13th, mistake 5 out, pulled up before next
prominent, hampered 1st and 3rd, mistake 5th, led 13th, hard pressed until in command flat, all out
held up, headway 9th, ridden 4 out, 3rd and beaten from next
led, jumped right 1st, headed next, switched right before 3rd, led 5th, headed 11th, ridden after next, weakened 4 out, pulled up before 2 out
Red Infantry was unconvincing on his only previous try over fences but ran well back over hurdles at Aintree in October. Nightline was placed at Wetherby and Bangor in the spring but well beaten on his reappearance. Powerful Symbol ground out a victory at Southwell last month but didn’t beat much. Gibbes Bay is not one of his stable’s stars but the switch to fences might suit Hey Bill and also the returning Cracked Rear View. HEROES OR GHOSTS is fully exposed but almost guaranteed to run his race over his best trip and on his favourite surface so gets the nod.
Gibbes Bay (FR) 5-2fav (12-2) Tracked leader, ridden to challenge after 3 out, soon one pace, weakened before last, 7th of 17, 18l behind Steely Addition (11-13) at Wincanton 2m 5f hcp (4) gd in Oct.
Nightline 5-1 (10-6) Keen, chased leaders, disputing 2nd 14th until next, chased leaders, weakened on long run to 2 out, left poor 5th last, 5th of 7, 21l behind Wicked Willy (10-9) at Huntingdon 3m hcp (3) gd in Oct.
Cracked Rear View (IRE) 7-2 (11-2) Close up, weakened before 3 out, pulled up, at Kelso 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Mar.
Hey Bill (IRE) 33-1 (11-5) Always behind, 8th of 11, 27 1/2l behind Steely Addition (11-10) at Chepstow 3m hcp (3) sft in Nov.
Simply The West (IRE) 8-1 (11-2) Tracked leaders, disputed lead before 8th, lost place when hampered 11th, soon behind, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out, at Newbury 2m 6f hcp (3) sft in Dec.
Powerful Symbol (IRE) 3-1 (12-7) Held up in touch, mistake 6th, left in lead before 5 out, clear before 2 out, kept on, won at Southwell 3m hcp (4) gd in Nov beating Smiling Jessica (10-12) by 4l, 7 ran.
Red Infantry (IRE) 13-2 (11-7) Tracked leaders, close up in 3rd 2 out, soon ridden, kept on same pace, no impression with front pair flat, 3rd of 15, 4l behind Bon Chic (11-6) at Aintree 3m 1f hcp (3) gs in Oct.
Heroes Or Ghosts (IRE) 8-1 (11-8) Tracked leaders, led before 5 out, headed before last, kept on and always held run-in, 2nd of 7, 1 3/4l behind Better Days (11-11) at Kempton 3m hcp (4) gd in Oct.
