in touch, losing place when mistake, hampered 4 out, pulled up before next
in rear, still plenty to do 3 out, kept on under pressure from next, stayed on well to take 3rd run in
tracked leader to 4th, ridden along 9th, close up when fell 4 out
always behind, struggling from 9th, tailed off 4 out
held up in touch, not fluent 3rd, ridden to chase winner 3 out to next, soon no impression, lost third run in
led to 11th, stayed chasing winner to 3 out, weakened before next
tracked leaders, ridden to chase winner 2 out, kept on to hold 2nd run in, no chance with winner
tracked leaders, led 11th, clear 2 out, stayed on strongly
Iris Royal returns to the scene of his Tripleprint Gold Cup success and, although 11lbs higher in the weights now, has to be the selection to follow up with Jakari and Spring Grove rated the main dangers. The last mentioned, a winner over this trip at Warwick last time, gets plenty of weight from his main rivals but is more exposed than most and is probably best passed over. Henry Daly's Jakari has won his last two starts but another 8lb rise for the latest of those looks a touch harsh and he faces no easy task. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Whereareyounow ran as well as could have been expected behind the useful Therealbandit over further here last time and has to be respected off his light weight along with Martin Pipe's Tarxien and his former stablemate Royal Auclair, who is now in the care of Paul Nicholls. However, Iris Royal has done little wrong so far this term and is the one they all have to beat.
