held up in rear, headway after 8th, chased winner approaching 3 out, jumped right final 3, no extra towards finish
mid-division, sonme headway after 8th, weakened approaching 3 out
mid-division, weakened 8th
prominent, ridden and weakening when not fluent 3 out
prominent, led 4th, hit 5th and headed, weakened after 8th, mistake 2 out
chased leaders, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
mid-division, losing place and getting detached when tried to refuse 3rd, pulled up after flight
blundered and unseated rider 2nd
led to 4th, led 5th, mistake 7th, headed after next, weakened approaching 3 out
pulled hard, mid-division, mistake 2nd, headway approaching next, went left and jumped slowly 6th, soon lost place, behind from next, tailed off when mistake and unseated rider 2 out
held up towards rear, hit 8th, headway approaching 3 out, went 3rd 2 out, stayed on flat
always in touch, hit 2nd, led after 8th, jumped right last 2, edged left flat, driven out
always behind
Three against the field here are Solid Silver, Spare Me and CELTICELLO and we will side with the last-named. The David Evans-trained selection is top rated here and won a similar contest over this trip on soft ground at Leicester in December. He was tried over an inadequate trip next time at Taunton and then had a recent Polytrack run, but back in this sphere and also at 2m 5f he should be different again and we will take him to score. Solid Silver will be better for this ground than on his last few starts and did not run a bad race until tipping up last time. The yard is in form and he is not ruled out. Spare Me is 2lb worse off with the selection after finishing 14 lengths behind him at Leicester, so clearly he has plenty to do to reverse that form, but nonetheless he should be among the leading lights. Keith Goldsworthy's runners are showing signs of hitting form and he applied first-time blinkers to Christmas Carol who has shown nothing in three hurdles so far, though improvement may now be just around the corner. Super Ross has trip to suit and does act on a sound surface, so he is not ruled out, but Celticello gets the vote.
Celticello (IRE) 12-1 (11-13) Held up, ridden and headway approaching 2 out, kept on one pace flat, 5th of 12, 13l behind King Caine (11-9) at Taunton 2m 1f clm hdl (5) hvy.
Devito (FR) 5-1 (10-7) Chased leader, led 2nd to 6th, led again 7th, ridden and headed after 3 out, weakened approaching last, 7th of 14, 18l behind Celticello (11-3) at Leicester 2m 4f sll hdl (4) sft in Dec.
Mickey Pearce (IRE) 16-1 (11-7) Held up, struggling 8th, soon tailed off and pulled up 3 out in race won by Wotchalike (11-5) at Wetherby 2m 7f sll hdl (5) gd in Jun, 8 ran.
Spare Me 8-1 (11-1) Led to 2nd, remained prominent, led after 3 out, headed 2 out, weakened last, 5th of 14, 14l behind Celticello (11-3) at Leicester 2m 4f sll hdl (4) sft in Dec.
Celebrity Call (IRE) 6-1 (11-7) Chased leaders, pecked 3rd, hit 5th, weakened after 3 out, 4th of 9, 22l behind Burgess Hill (11-0) at Plumpton 2m 5f hcp hdl 0-100 (4) sft in Dec.
Snow Patrol 16-1 (10-12) Chased leaders, ridden after 3 out, kept on same pace, mistake last, 4th of 14, 20l behind Stance (10-12) at Fontwell 2m 6f sll hdl (5) sft.
Watch Out 16-1 (11-1) Mid-division, struggling after 5th, tailed off, 15th of 18, well behind Moonlight Music (10-3) at Uttoxeter 2m nov sll hdl (5) hvy.
Celtic Treasure (IRE) 150-1 (10-9) Towards rear, mistake 1st, ridden after 5th, behind when pulled up at the 7th in race won by Tarablaze (10-12) at Uttoxeter 2m 6f nov hdl (4) gs in Oct, 13 ran.
Christmas Carol (IRE) 100-1 (10-12) Tracked leader, ridden 6th, weakened and tailed off 4 out, 10th of 11, well behind Phoudamour (11-3) at Hereford 2m 4f nov hdl (4) sft.
Esturgeon Du Ranch (FR) 100-1 (10-5) Fractious before lining up, raced wide, led until 5th, soon weakened and in rear when pulled up 3 out in race won by Aux Le Bahnn (11-5) at Folkestone 2m 6f nov hdl (4) gs in Jan, 14 ran.
Saddlers Blaze (IRE) 150-1 (11-3) In touch, mistake 5th, dropped to last 9th, hit next and lost touch, tailed off when pulled up at the 16th in race won by Bannister Lane (11-12) at Sandown 3m amt chs (3) sft, 8 ran.
Solid Silver 20-1 (11-9) Chased leaders, hit 3 out, soon ridden, 5th and beaten when fell at the last in race won by Well Disguised (10-11) at Doncaster 2m cnd hcp hdl 0-100 (4) sft in Jan, 18 ran.
Super Ross (IRE) 17-2 (11-1) Towards rear, headway after 8th, ridden to chase leaders after 3 out, one pace from next, 4th of 14, 10l behind Bally Conn (11-6) at Taunton 3m cnd hcp hdl 0-110 (4) sft in Jan.
Tavalu (USA) 25-1 (10-13) Chased leader, ridden and weakened 3 out, behind when pulled up 2 out in race won by Tarateeno (11-6) at Wincanton 2m 6f hcp hdl 0-105 (4) sft, 9 ran.
