close up, driven along from 7th, never travelling after, lost touch 12th, continued, tailed off
not fluent, held up in touch, blundered 6th, pecked 9th, disputing 2 lengths 2nd when blundered and fell 14th
led to after 2nd, chased winner to 8th, 3rd after, driven and lost touch from 14th, tailed off
led after 2nd, blundered next, jumped right 7th, cleared next, hit 10th, jumped right 3 out, stayed on well from next
raced in 4th, chased winner 8th, driven and tried to close approaching 2 out, stayed on same pace after
A surprisingly low turnout in the light of decent prize money and IRONSIDE is our call ahead of The Ring and Georges Boy. Colin Tizzard's charge is incredibly quirky and isn't exactly a horse to trust. That said, if he decides that he fancies the task today, he is more than capable of grinding the opposition into submission and we'll take our chance that he will in such a mood today. The Ring went up sharply for a victory at Warwick in March. He has few problems with today's prevailing ground. Georges Boy fell when clear at Kempton. It was too early to say whether he would have won but the fall he took was a heavy one. Eurocelt had little hope in a recent pipeopener over hurdles so that run can be safely overlooked. Santando is better known as a summer performer and has shown little this season. A race where all of the quintet have question marks and for the solution we take Ironside.
Eurocelt (IRE) 50-1 (10-12) 6th of 10, well behind Officier De Reserve (10-12) at Warwick 3m 1f nov hdl (4) gs.
Santando 33-1 (11-0) Chased leaders, weakened 4 out, 9th of 14, 27l behind Bill's Echo (11-6) at Bangor 3m hcp chs 0-130 (3) gd in Oct.
Ironside (IRE) 25-1 (10-13) Behind from 7th, tailed off, 14th of 15, well behind Super Nick (11-2) at Chepstow 3m hcp chs 0-125 (3) gd in Oct.
Georges Boy (IRE) 20-1 (10-13) Soon led, left clear 6th, clear when fell at the 14th in race won by Ashwell (11-6) at Kempton 3m hcp chs 0-115 (4) gs, 12 ran.
The Ring (IRE) 9-1 (11-5) Prominent until approaching 3rd, jumped slowly 13th, soon weakened, 7th of 10, well behind Radnor Lad (11-0) at Towcester 3m hcp chs 0-110 (4) gd in Apr.
