held up in rear, headway 7th, hampered after 8th, soon ridden, weakened 3 out
always towards rear
led, mistake 5th, headed 8th, soon ridden and weakened
held up in rear, headway 7th, every chance 2 out, soon ridden, weakened last
held up, headway 8th, ridden to lead 2 out, hung left approaching last, headed and no extra flat
mid-division, ridden after 8th, soon weakened
held up, headway after 5th, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened next
mid-division, ridden after 8th, soon weakened
behind, ridden and headway approaching 2 out, hit last, stayed on never nearer
in touch, hit 7th, ridden after next, soon weakened
mid-division, headway 8th, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
held up, keen, in rear, headway approaching 3 out, ridden approaching last, led flat, ran on
keen, held up, headway 8th, not fluent 3 out, ridden and every chance 2 out, weakened flat
mid-division, headway 8th, ridden 3 out, weakened approaching last
prominent, hit 3rd and 7th, weakening when not much room after next
mid-division, ridden after 8th, weakening when hit 3 out
towards rear, headway 8th, ridden and every chance 2 out, weakened last
mid-division, headway 8th, ridden approaching 3 out, kept on flat
tracked leaders, ridden when hampered after 8th, soon weakened
always behind
tracked leaders, ridden and every chance 3 out, weakened after next
With 23 runners set to line up, this is a very tricky race. It's hard to be too dogmatic in trying to identify the winner but we'll nominate Gin Palace ahead of Copeland, Dancing Bay and Colourful Life, Spectrometer was a decent Flat handicapper and hurdler for Philip Hobbs and Mark Johnston and, if freshened up by the move to Richard Guest's stable, could run well although he lacks a recent run. Copeland has been dropped two pounds for a very good run in the County Hurdle - Bound was well behind him that day - and has to be respected from his current mark. Crazy Horse won this race from a mark of 145 in 2001 so, theoretically, from a mark of 140 he can be given a chance. That said, he has shown little in a couple of races since returning from injury this season. Korelo ran well from a two-pound higher mark when seventh in the Coral Cup last time but remains eight-pounds higher in the weights than for his last win. Redemption and Inca Trail were well behind Korelo at Cheltenham but could show in a better light if the going is good or faster today. Dancing Bay bounced back to form on better going at Newbury last time and, raised just four pounds for that effort, can go well again, while Timmy Murphy could be just what the doctor ordered for the enigmatic Gin Palace, who ran well on going that had gone against him in Sandown's Imperial Cup last time. He meets Shalako on the same terms for having beaten him a length-and-a-quarter at Sandown while, if you factor in his amateur rider's allowance, Just In Time is one horse that is back to near a winning mark. The form of Gone Far's Newbury second on March 6 reads pretty well, but other pieces of form around it not so well but, if Tony McCoy elects to ride him. Lotus des Pictons from the Martin Pipe contingent, he could yet run a good race off a low weight. Of the others, market support for either Charlie Swan's Old Flame or the Jonjo O'Neill-trained Golden Rambler, who looked decent a couple of years back before injury caused an absence, would be interesting, while Colourful Life remains consistent from his current mark and Ruby Walsh has been booked to ride. Mythical King is fairly lightly raced over hurdles and now tries this trip, over which he has won, for only the third time. As he seems to have been targeted at this race, do not rule out a bold showing, even though he has a couple of lengths to find with Colourful Life based on Haydock form in February.. Nathos has the scope to keep on improving and has a five-pound pull for the nine lengths he finished behind Gin Palace at Kempton in February, but it might not be enough to see him reverse the tables with selection which is, once again, Gin Palace.
