behind, blundered 7th, reminders 10th and next, soon under pressure, lost touch when blundered 5 out, pulled up before next
not fluent, mid-division, headway and in touch 10th, reminder 13th, soon struggling, weakened before 3 out, tailed off
held up behind, headway 17th, chased leading pair 4 out, ridden and every chance 2 out, soon one pace and beaten
made all, hard pressed 3 out, ridden between last 2, 1 length clear when blundered last, stayed on under pressure flat
tracked leaders, blundered 12th, went 2nd 14th (water), challenged 3 out, kept on and every chance until ridden and one pace flat
tracked winner, blundered 6th, hit 12th, lost place 14th (water), outpaced 4 out, soon ridden, no impression from next
tracked leaders mistake 12th, lost place 14th, outpaced 4 out, weakened from next
mid-division, headway to chase leaders 16th, outpaced approaching 2 out, no impression approaching last
Jonjo O'Neill's Breaking Silence and Peter Shaw's Drybrook Bedouin have both won recent starts in hunter chases but face no easy task in this company today and preference is for TEMPLER, who gets the vote ahead of Theatre Diva. The last mentioned got the better of the selection over course and distance last month when the pair were separated by three-quarters of the length but Templer has every chance of reversing that running at the revised weights and the Philip Hobbs-trained gelding gets the vote to do so and go one better. Peter Bowen's Take The Stand is not as good as he once was and would probably prefer faster ground, while Phillip Rowley's Billyvoddan lost no caste in defeat when narrowly beaten by Coolefind at Southwell last time but this is tougher. Jeremy Scott's Southwestern has disappointed when highly tried in valuable events at the festivals here and at Punchestown in his last two starts and is probably best watched and of more interest may be Gary Moore's Huntingdon winner, Tikram, who ran well enough in defeat in a better race at Ascot last time. Several of these have chances in a decent event but none more so than Templer, who looks the one to beat.
Breaking Silence (IRE) 8-1 (12-1) Held up behind, headway on inside 10th, lost place 15th, ridden and outpaced 3 out, never on terms, 7th of 16, 33l behind Theatre Diva (10-11) at Cheltenham 3m 2f hts chs (4) gd in Apr.
Drybrook Bedouin 7-4 (11-9) Chased leaders, hit 9th and 11th, led approaching 3 out, jumped right 2 out, driven and went right last, stayed on strongly, won at Taunton 2m 7f hts chs (5) gs in Apr beating Doof (11-5) by 3l, 8 ran.
Southwestern (IRE) 8-1 (11-11) Towards rear, kept on without threatening from 3 out, 6th of 25, 17l behind On The Fringe (11-5) at Punchestown 3m 1f hts chs gd in Apr.
Take The Stand (IRE) 9-1 (11-10) Tracked leaders, led 14th, headed 4 out, ridden next, stayed on same pace from 2 out, no impression, 5th of 16, 21l behind Theatre Diva (10-11) at Cheltenham 3m 2f hts chs (4) gd in Apr.
Templer (IRE) 11-4fav (11-12) In touch, led 4 out, ridden 2 out, headed flat, kept on under pressure, 2nd of 16, 3/4l behind Theatre Diva (10-11) at Cheltenham 3m 2f hts chs (4) gd in Apr.
Tikram 6-1 (11-13) Held up in touch until lost place and pushed along 10th, struggling in rear when hampered 12th, tailed off, 6th of 11, 37l behind Bob Hall (12-6) at Ascot 2m 5f hts chs (5) gd in Apr.
Billyvoddan (IRE) 7-2 (11-5) Chased leaders, led approaching 13th, headed next, rallied and led again 3 out, soon strongly challenged, all out, 2nd of 10, ns behind Coolefind (11-13) at Southwell 3m hts chs (6) gd in Apr.
Theatre Diva (IRE) 13-2 (10-11) Held up behind, headway 12th, went 2nd 2 out, led flat, stayed on, won at Cheltenham 3m 2f hts chs (4) gd in Apr beating Templer (11-12) by 3/4l, 16 ran.
