held up, headway 10th, led 2 out, shaken up run-in
always behind, pulled up after 9th
blundered and unseated rider 1st
led until 2nd, chased leader, reminders after 7th, weakened after 3 out
held up, headway and not fluent 11th, every chance 4 out, ridden after 3 out, kept on but always held run-in
in touch until weakened 11th, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out
chased leaders until 8th, weakened after 9th, pulled up before next
in touch, went 3rd after 7th, mistake 9th, led 4 out, soon ridden, headed 2 out, kept on same pace
led 2nd, blundered badly 12th, headed next, soon weakened
Armariver missed an intended engagement last week and can make the extra preparation pay, getting the vote ahead of Nobody Tells Me and Magot de Grugy. The last mentioned has claims on the pick of his hurdles form but has not shown that for some time now so is probably best watched. Saorsie is on a long losing sequence and is hard to recommend in this company, while Paris Latino needs to improve on all known form to trouble the judge. David Pipe's Nobody Tells Me is less exposed than most of these and is fully entitled to take a hand in the finish but the Paul Nicholls-trained Armariver is the clear form pick and he gets the vote.
Armariver (FR) 2-5fav (11-3) Tracked leader, with clear leader 3 out, not fluent, held soon after (lost front shoe), 2nd of 6, 4l behind Gan Eagla (11-3) at Hereford 2m 3f beg chs (4) gf in May.
Magot de Grugy (FR) 5-1 (11-12) Chased leaders, hit 8th, driven from 10th, no chance from 3 out, left moderate 2nd at the last briefly, 3rd of 12, 24l behind Artic Reason (10-2) at N Abbot 2m 5f hcp chs 0-105 (4) gs in May.
Matrix (AUS) 20-1 (10-2) Behind from 7th, tailed off and pulled up 5 out in race won by Artic Reason (10-2) at N Abbot 2m 5f hcp chs 0-105 (4) gs in May, 12 ran.
Nobody Tells Me (FR) 7-2 (11-4) Chased leaders, hit 10th, soon ridden, weakened 3 out, 4th of 7, 30l behind Tritonville Lodge (11-2) at Exeter 3m hcp hdl 0-130 (3) gf in Apr.
Paris Latino (FR) 10-1 (12-0) Nd; lost tch 14; pulled up in race won by Present M'lord (12-0) at Milborne St Andr 3m ptp gd in Feb, 9 ran.
Proud Peer (IRE) 7-2 (11-6) Held up, effort 6th, soon weakened, 7th of 13, 43l behind Cossack Dancer (11-0) at Ludlow 2m nh nov hdl (D) gd in Nov '04.
Saorsie 20-1 (11-3) Behind, headway approaching 10th, mistake 3 out, staying on and disputing 3rd when blundered last, kept on well flat, 3rd of 13, 10l behind Deep King (11-3) at Stratford 2m 1f hts chs (5) gd in May.
Fairly High (IRE) 50-1 (9-13) Mid-division, ridden approaching 5th, soon behind, 11th of 12, well behind Miss Rideamight (10-11) at N Abbot 2m 6f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) gf in Apr.
