held up last, steady headway from 8th, chased leader 3 out, hard ridden from 2 out, no extra
held up towards rear, ridden 8th, weakened 3 out
led and soon clear, headed 8th, ridden 3 out, soon weakened
unruly and left start
tracked leader, ridden 8th, stayed on same pace from 2 out
Not too many here and is hard to be dogmatic about the selection but we give the call to Kirov King over Monti Flyer and Central Committee. The Toby Balding-trained selection has only run twice over hurdles, scoring at the first time of asking at Fontwell over just over two-and-a-quarter miles on his debut, That was not a strong affair but he won well but was then put in his place by Marcel and others at the same track last time. The key to him running well is that he is not taken on for the lead, as he can race keenly. Over this longer trip, which he has every chance of staying if he settles as he has won over 12 furlongs on the Flat, he might be able to improve again. He also receives a handy five pounds from Monti Flyer. Paul Nicholls' gelding is lightly raced and has been raised 10 pounds for winning at Ludlow in March. Much as he was disappointing at Ludlow last time, the return to a shorter trip might help his cause today. Physically, he should also be improving. While his recent form has seen him drop in the ratings, Central Committee showed enough last time to suggest he might reach the frame but Bekistar hasn't looked the same force since his return after winning from a nine-pound higher mark two years ago. With it being hard to build a strong case for the other pair, the vote, once again, goes to Kirov King.
