held up towards rear, ridden with some headway after 8th, one pace
towards rear, headway, chased leader approaching 7th, ridden after 3 out, weakened 2 out
held up in mid-division, headway approaching 6th, ridden after 3 out, staying on in 2nd when fell last
prominent, ridden, mistake 3 out, kept on one pace from 2 out
in touch, weakened 3 out, pulled up lame, dismounted 2 out
in touch, ridden behind leader 3 out, stayed on same pace from 2 out, left 4th at last
mid-division, ridden from 3 out, stayed on from 2 out, left 3rd at last
chased leader, ridden after 6th, led 7th, drew clear last, gamely
led after 3rd to 7th, with winner, ridden 2 out, left 2nd last, not quicken flat
chased leader, jumped slowly 1st, lost pace, weakened 8th
mid-division, headway 8th, soon weakened
led to approaching 3rd, prominent until weakened after 7th
chased leader, led briefly 3rd, weakened after 7th
Big Rob looks thrown in and gets the vote ahead of Lord Nellsson, Quarrymount and Kadam in the opening race on the card. Unusually for a Brendan Powell-trained inmate, Lord Nellsson has not impressed with his jumping over fences, and has failed to get round on each of his last three starts. At Huntingdon last week he was again in the process of running a big race when coming to grief four out, and it is to be hoped that the switch back to the smaller obstacles will have the desired effect. The six-year-old lines up on a 27lb lower mark over hurdles, so is the proverbial handicap snip, and is taken to get losses back. He has two or three main rivals including Lord Nellsson who gave Andy Turnell his first winner since taking over at Jeff King's old yard when scoring on the Flat at Chepstow in August. That was over 18 furlongs, and this longer trip over hurdles will suit him. Quarrymount has been quite highly tried since going hurdling and will improve for his recent return to action, while Kadam is back over the smaller obstacles after having a spin over fences on his last start in June and may benefit from Liam Heard's seven-pound claim. If Big Rob can get his jumping together here though, he should be the one to be on.
Euradream (IRE) 7-4fav (11-2) Mid-division, headway after 6th, led after 3 out, drew clear after next, won at Towcester 2m 3f mdn hdl (F) sft in Apr '04 beating The Bar Maid (10-11) by 22l, 13 ran.
Kadam (IRE) 9-4jt-fav (10-8) Held up, headway 11th, ridden 4 out, every chance approaching 2 out, soon weakened, 5th of 10, 9l behind Good Man Again (11-0) at Worcester 2m 7f nov chs (E) gf in Jun.
Courant d'Air (IRE) 22-1 (11-3) In rear, mistake 2nd, effort when not clear run on bend after 3 out, kept on but not reach leaders, 4th of 10, 10l behind Alva Glen (11-1) at Hereford 2m 3f hcp hdl 0-110 (E) gf in May.
Protagonist 20-1 (11-0) Tracked leaders, hit 9th, ridden and weakened 11th, 7th of 8, well behind Northern Deal (10-11) at Stratford 2m 5f nov chs (D) gd in Sept '04.
Laudamus 12-1 (10-5) Took keen hold, tracked leaders, weakened 7th, 5th of 11, 39l behind By Degree (10-13) at Chepstow 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (D) hvy.
Quintus (USA) 7-2 (11-9) Mid-division, ridden 5th, weakened approaching 3 out, 8th of 16, 34l behind Devito (11-8) at Taunton 2m 3f cnd hcp hdl 0-100 (F) frm in Oct.
Maximinus 50-1 (10-13) In touch, ridden approaching 2 out, soon weakened, 11th of 14, 15l behind Nanga Parbat (11-5) at Wincanton 2m hcp hdl 0-110 (E) gd in Oct.
Lord Nellsson 9-1 (10-6) Led to 1st, chased leader until ridden and weakened after 6th, 2nd of 16, 3l behind Meadow Hawk (9-9) at Taunton 2m 3f amt hcp hdl 0-110 (E) gf.
Big Rob (IRE) 13-8fav (11-4) Close up, joined leader 8th, led 4 out, blundered and unseated rider 3 out in race won by Dark'n Sharp (11-12) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp chs 0-130 (C) gs, 10 ran.
Knight of Silver 50-1 (10-4) Held up, driven along after 6th, headway 8th, stayed on from 3 out, 2nd of 9, 4l behind Toulouse-Lautrec (11-0) at Exeter 3m hcp hdl 0-110 (E) gs.
Ideal Jack (FR) 11-1 (10-8) Held up in rear, headway 9th, chasing leaders when blundered 12th, weakened 2 out, 3rd of 12, 10l behind Party Games (11-12) at Wincanton 2m 5f nov hcp chs 0-100 (E) gd in May.
Cloudy Blues (IRE) 25-1 (10-2) Tracked leader until weakened 10th, no chance when pulled up 3 out in race won by Party Games (11-12) at Wincanton 2m 5f nov hcp chs 0-100 (E) gd in May, 12 ran.
Skye Blue (IRE) 50-1 (10-13) Mid-division, lost place after 6th, soon behind, 8th of 13, 47l behind Arctic Glow (9-11) at Taunton 3m sll hcp hdl 0-90 (G) gd in Dec.
Quarrymount 7-2 (10-12) Tracked leader, led 3rd, headed soon after 3 out, weakened before last, 4th of 16, 15l behind Mikado Melody (10-12) at Lingfield 2m nov hdl (E) sft in Oct.
