tracked leaders, led 5ht, ridden approaching 3 out, headed 2 out, led briefly approaching last, kept on same pace
held up in rear, ridden and weakened from 4 out
mid-division, headway approaching 11th, chased leader after 4 out., every chance next, soon ridden, weakened last
led to 5th, soon behind, hit 11th, pushed along, kept on from 4 out, no impression
in touch, driven 4 out, hit next, weakened from 2 out
held up, not fluent 1st, steady headway 13th, ridden approaching 3 out, led next, headed briefly approaching last, kept on well flat
mid-division, headway th, pushed along approaching 4 out, ridden approaching next, kept on from 2 out
in touch, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened approaching next
with leader, jumped right 4th, behind and pushed along from 12th, tailed off from 4 out
Royal & SunAlliance winner Hussard Collonges ran well under a big weight when a close up fifth in the Hennessy and should again be thereabouts but he may be anchored by the burden of 11st 10lbs. The top class hurdler and Mildmay Novices' Chase winner of last season, Barton, makes his long awaited return to action. With the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup the long term objective of Time Easterby's gelding, he may be best watched here. Paul Nicholls has the Grand National on the agenda for Whitenzo if he runs well and, while the seven-year-old has to be respected as he holds similar claims to the Beaumont horse, others are preferred. Martin Pipe's Iznogoud has claims on the form shown when beating Valley Henry at Ascot last season but there was little sign of encouragement on his reappearance in the Hennessy, while Bindaree was well held by See More Business at Chepstow last time and has the National as his target again. He is another probably best watched with an eye to the future. Goguenard has done little wrong this term but has more on here than when winning at Wetherby on Boxing Day. In an interesting renewal of the Peter Marsh, the selection is Truckers Tavern. Although getting no further than the first fence at Ascot on his most recent start, Ferdy Murphy's gelding showed enough at Kelso the time before to suggest that he is as good as ever this season and, with the stable among the winner snow, he looks worth chancing at the forecast odds.
