held up, headway from 4 out, chased leaders from 3 out outpaced after 2 out
held up, pushed along and outpaced from 3 out
held up in rear, smooth headway from 4 out, challenged on bit 2 out, led approaching last, soon clear pushed out run in
keen hold, chased leaders until weakened 5th
took keen hold, chased leaders, led 3 out, hard ridden and headed approaching last, soon outpaced by winner but kept on well for 2nd
chased leader, led 4 out, headed 3 out, soon weakened
close up when pecked badly and unseated rider 4th
always well in rear, tailed off from 4th
A smashing race, as it should be for the money on offer, and our vote goes to Feel The Pride ahead of Kombinacja, Albuhera, Second Paige and Whaleef. The Jonjo O'Neill-trained selection comes here on the back of three straight wins and she has given the impression that there is better yet to come. There will need to be because this is far and away her toughest test to date. Among her opponents are the four-time winner Second Paige, who has to concede weight to the field; Tom George's likeable and improving Kombinacja, who was Group class on the Flat in her native Poland; Paul Nicholls dual winner Albuhera, who was a 100-rated handicapper on the Flat for Mark Johnston, for whom he scored in good handicaps at around 10 furlongs; and Paul Webber's Whaleef, a winner of three of his last four races, although the bare form of those efforts needs to be improved upon. It all adds up to a very good race, one in which Feel The Pride might be the one worth siding with.
