led, mistake 5th, jumped right 10th, headed next, led again 13th, hanging right and all out when headed last
soon tracking leader, led 11th, headed 13th, soon ridden and weakened 2 out
tracked leaders, jumped right throughout, pushed along from 6th, weakened 9th
in rear, behind when pulled up before 2 out
mid-division, unseated rider 4th
in rear, some progress when mistake and hampered 13th, pulled up approaching next
in touch, ridden and weakening from 3 out, tired out when unseated rider 2 out
tracked leaders, mistake and lost place 4th, behind from 7th, jumped right 13th but continued
in touch, lost place from 6th, tailed off 9th
in touch, always going well, tracked leader 2 out, led last easy
A trappy affair and RICO HOMBRE is our idea of the most likely winner with Rate Of Knots and Push The Port the others to catch the eye. Nicky Henderson attempts to pull off the mother of all training performances in bringing back Rico Hombre from just over four years off the track. A smart sort in bumpers, connections have been patient and it is presumed that they would not have persevered for so long were the raw material not up to scratch. Rate Of Knots was a big price in a mares race last time out. She won a maiden hurdle at the track in bottomless conditions but does have the edge of racefitness in relation to our selection. Push The Port was bred very much with the flat in mind. He lost his way at the back end of last season so the market is watched in order to see what he's shown on the gallops. Ballyboley is the benchmark that the assessor will use for future handicaps. Gritti Palace has clearly had a few issues of late with regard to his racing but he cannot be relied upon to produce some of his more impressive BHA ratings these days. Rico Hombre gets our vote in a race will tell us plenty.
Ballyboley (IRE) 25-1 (11-2) Prominent, led 6th, hit 8th, headed on long run to last, weakened last, edged right flat, 4th of 15, 12l behind Prince of Persia (11-12) at Huntingdon 3m nov hcp chs 0-110 (4) gs.
Caspar of Tarsus (IRE) 66-1 (10-8) Always last, ridden and outpaced approaching 3 out, last of 4, 20l behind Heathcote (11-5) at Plumpton 2m 1f nov chs (3) hvy.
Gritti Palace (IRE) 14-1 (11-3) Never going well, jumped right, tailed off 7th and pulled up at the 10th in race won by Le Beau Bai (11-0) at Uttoxeter 3m beg chs (4) sft in Nov, 9 ran.
Johnny Harris (IRE) 100-1 (10-11) Always behind, 13th of 16, well behind Norman The Great (10-12) at Leicester 2m nov hdl (4) gd in Nov.
Mr Parson (IRE) 200-1 (11-1) Held up in last pair, mistake 4th, blundered 8th, reminders after 12th, weakened 16th, tailed off, 4th of 5, well behind What A Friend (11-6) at Cheltenham 3m 1f nov chs (2) gs.
Push The Port (IRE) 7-1 (10-6) Prominent, lost place approaching 7th, soon in rear, beaten when blundered badly and unseated rider at the last in race won by River Reine (9-11) at Towcester 3m hcp hdl 0-120 (3) gd in Apr, 15 ran.
Rico Hombre (FR) 9-2 (10-12) Held up mid-division, headway 3 out, ridden approaching 2 out, soon chasing winner, kept on but no impression, 2nd of 14, 15l behind Rebel Rhythm (11-5) at Haydock 2m 4f nov hdl (D) hvy in Dec '04.
Stockton Flyer 100-1 (10-9) Tracked leaders, raced keenly, weakening when mistake 9th, tailed off when pulled up at the 11th in race won by Galant Nuit (10-7) at Uttoxeter 2m 6f beg chs (4) sft in Nov, 9 ran.
Miss Fleur 50-1 (10-6) Never reached beyond mid-division, 8th of 14, 32l behind Sherwani Wolf (10-13) at Plumpton 2m 2f nhf (6) sft.
Rate of Knots (IRE) 20-1 (11-0) Held up in rear, headway 11th, mistake 2 out, soon edged right, not fluent last, stayed on flat, 3rd of 8, 4l behind Shatabdi (10-7) at Huntingdon 2m 4f mrs nov chs (4) gs.
