held up last, headway 9th, ridden 10th and chased leader, challenged 2 out, led last, edged left under pressure flat
led to 5th, prominent, weakened quickly and pulled up before 8th
chased leader, led 5th, ridden approaching 3 out, headed last, no extra flat
help up in touch, ridden approaching 8th, soon weakened, pulled up before 9th
prominent, headway 5th, ridden approaching 10th, weakened 3 out
Once again a small but competitive field where Half An Hour is a tentative choice to beat Lord Strickland and Hit Royal. All three come here in winning form and the selection was possibly the most impressive. He was fitted with a visor for the first time and it had the desired effect as he sprinted clear of his rivals to record an emphatic victory over Gold Kriek at Stratford. A repeat of that performance may be good enough here. Lord Strickland has the advantage of a course and distance victory, however he was workmanlike rather than spectacular when beating stable companion Saint Romble. Hit Royal's victory was gained after the favourite fell when looking all over the winner, so the form may be a little suspect. However he was running better than he had on his previous outing and the key to him may well be competing up with the pace rather than being ridden patiently. Of the others Lincoln Place is steadily improving and is worth a mention, but after much consideration Half An Hour is just given the nod.
