tracked leader, led 2nd, ridden 2 out, held on well
tracked leaders, headway 3 out, effort and chance before next, no extra approaching last
race keen in mid-division, headway 4th, outpaced 3 out
in touch, headway 3 out, soon ridden and effort, 4th and weakening when blundered left
held up in mid-division, headway approaching 3 out, ridden to chase winner 2 out, every chance last, kept on
race keen, led to 2nd, remained close up, weakened 3 out
held up in rear, pushed along 5th, ridden 3 out, no impression
pulled hard, saddle slipped and pulled up before 2nd
Kentucky Blue bypassed a similar engagement at Kelso on Thursday to wait for this, and the move should be rewarded without too much fuss, with newcomer Bahlino and John Quinn's Inch Island expected to make a race of it. Kentucky Blue, rated 85 on the Flat, loved it on his hurdles debut at Wetherby in November, justifying favouritism with ears pricked. He may well have made it two out of two over timber on a return to the Yorkshire track, as he was still going well when coming to grief at the final flight in the race won by King Revo, and gets the chance to make amends here. Bahlino has now joined the team that has produced the likes of Chivalry and Inglis Drever to make an immediate impression over hurdles, and like them, is sure to have been well schooled after leaving Willie Jarvis for whom he was a dual winner on the Flat. Inch Island appears to have improved with each outing, and should find a little race based on his second to Encore Cadoudal at Kelso last time. None of the rest make any great appeal, and despite his penalty, Kentucky Blue appeals as the likely winner.
