prominent, hit 6th, led 3 out, soon ridden, blundered and headed next, kept on same pace
held up, headway halfway, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out, pulled up before next
led, ridden and headed 3 out, weakened approaching next
behind, pushed along and reminders halfway, never dangerous
mid-division, reminders and lost place from halfway, pulled up before 8th
mid-division, pushed along and headway approaching 8th, soon weakened, behind when pulled up before 3 out
prominent, soon pushed along, ridden 3 out, soon weakened
behind, headway halfway, ridden along 8th, weakened 3 out, pulled up before 2 out
always behind, pulled up before 8th
chased leaders, hit 7th, weakened from 3 out
prominent until ridden 3 out, no impression
in rear, ridden 8th, never dangerous
mid-division, pushed along halfway, some headway 5 out, weakened from 3 out
mid-division, struggling from halfway, pulled up before 2 out
mid-division, driven and behind from halfway, pulled up before 8th
held up, headway 8th, chased leaders from 3 out, soon ridden, led next, kept on flat, pushed out
towards rear, effort 4 out, never dangerous
chased leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened approaching next
with leader, hit 4th, reminded after 7th, weakened next, pulled up before 9th
mid-division, ridden from halfway, never dangerous
Just the 23 runners for backers to chose from in what looks a very competitive, albeit moderate, start to the day's proceedings at Catterick. Topweight Jim Bell has at least won a race this season, scoring in an amateur riders' contest over course and distance earlier this month, but an 8lb rise since leaves him with more to do here. Lochiedubs ran with credit on his reappearance at Carlisle in November but has not been seen since and is probably best watched, along with Menelek Lord who has been pulled up in all three starts this term but who has been given a break since the latest of them. The Fenman has been placed in his last two starts over shorter trips and has to be resected if he can stay this longer distance but there is no certainty that he will, while The River Joker has shown little sign of encouragement since successful at Huntingdon in November (four starts ago). Kinfauns Lady, Peter Beaumont's Dixcart Valley and Tina's Scallywag from the in-form yard of Richard Guest are others worthy of a mention but the one that gets a somewhat tentative vote is Ferdy Murphy's Ferrets Hill. The son of Good Thyne has shown promise in novice hurdles and, with improvement to come for the step up in trip, he looks well enough treated for his handicap debut.
