mid-division, mistake 2nd, pushed along and trying to close after 5 out, 8th 4 out, no impression, weakening when mistake 3 out, pulled up before 2 out
chased leaders, went wrong on landing 7th and pulled up
prominent, blundered and lost a few places 4th, 5th 4 out, no impression 3 out, modest 4th before 2 out until after last
prominent, led 2nd until 5th, blundered 5 out, 7th 4 out, soon weakened, tailed off
in rear, mistake 2nd and 6th, well beaten after 10th, pulled up after
led until 2nd, led 5th, not fluent 10th, headed before 3 out, not fluent 2 out, 5 lengths down before last, stayed on, led again 75 yards out, ridden out
mid-division, closed after 2nd, mistake 8th, soon lost place, well behind 5 out, pulled up before 3 out
mid-division, headway 3rd, 3rd 4 out, weakened from 3 out, tailed off
held up in touch, not fluent and lost place 3rd, struggling when mistake 9th, stayed on from 2 out, went 4th flat
towards rear, blundered 10th, 10th when mistake 4 out, no impression
behind, mistake 3rd and 4th, soon behind, pulled up before 10th
chased leaders, hit 8th, went 2nd before 10th, led before 3 out, 5 lengths clear after 2 out, not fluent last, headed 75 yards out, no extra
raced keenly, held up towards rear, headway after 6th, blundered 8th, 4th 4 out, no impression next
held up in rear, headway on outside 8th, 9th and struggling 4 out, pulled up after 3 out
not always fluent, towards rear, pushed along briefly before 2nd, slightly hampered 7th, driven along 9th, never involved
held up towards rear, mistake 5th, headway 5 out, mistake 4 out, went 3rd before 2 out, no impression
NonRunner
Nuts Well has been a grand servant to connections but has never raced over a trip this far while Debece has been hard to train and returns from yet another lay-off. MIDNIGHT SHADOW (NAP) is one of several with stamina to prove but Sue Smith was toying with the idea of running him in the King George after a couple of excellent runs in Grade 3 handicaps at Cheltenham. He beat the subsequent Grade 2 winner Protektorat in the first of those and an earlier third at Aintree has worked out well so he may have the class to defy his big weight. Cap Du Nord beat Canelo over 2m6f at Newbury last season with Kapcorse unplaced. The latter went on to win the same race in November dropped 7lb while Rocco won the Listed Badger Beer at Wincanton in the same month before being taken off his feet at Cheltenham. Fusil Raffles won the Charlie Hall at Wetherby in the autumn so can’t be ignored and Demachine is handicapped to go close with Kevin Brogan taking off 3lb.
Nuts Well 7-1 (11-12) Close up, tracked leaders 4 out, ridden next, kept on same pace, 3rd of 6, 13l behind Eclair D'Ainay (10-2) at Wetherby 1m 7f hcp (2) sft in Dec.
Midnight Shadow 11-2 (11-9) Chased leaders, went 2nd after 13th, pressed leader before 2 out, hit 2 out, soon pushed along, ridden and switched left after last, no extra closing stages, 3rd of 13, 2 1/4l behind Coole Cody (10-12) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp (1) gs in Dec.
Fusil Raffles (FR) 5-1fav (11-7) Handy, not fluent 8th, bad mistake 10th and dropped to mid-division, shaken up before 3 out and went 5th, ridden before 2 out, chased leaders before last, stayed on but no extra run-in, 4th of 13, 4 3/4l behind Coole Cody (10-12) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp (1) gs in Dec.
Cloudy Glen (IRE) 8-1 (11-12) Prominent, close up 12th, ridden and weakened when pulled up before 4 out, at Wetherby 3m hcp (1) sft in Dec.
Janika (FR) 40-1 (11-10) Held up in mid-division, closed on inside 6th, lost place 8th, no impression 3 out, 7th of 16, 15 1/4l behind Vienna Court (10-6) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp (1) sft in Jan.
Windsor Avenue (IRE) 8-1 (11-7) Midfield, hit 4th and lost place, in rear 5th, reminders after 8th, ridden after 11th, lost touch after 12th, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out, at Wetherby 3m hcp (1) sft in Dec.
Some Chaos (IRE) 50-1 (11-0) Not jump well in rear, ridden 11th, well beaten from 13th, soon pulled up, at Newcastle 2m 7f hcp lst (1) gs in Nov.
Demachine (IRE) 2-1fav (11-12) Went left, pitched slightly on landing and unseated rider 1st, at Ludlow 3m 2f hcp (3) sft in Jan.
Hill Sixteen 20-1 (10-0) Rear mid-division, pulled up after 16th, never involved, at Chepstow 3m 7f hcp (1) sft in Dec.
Canelo (IRE) 15-2 (11-9) Mid-division, hit 12th, pushed along 14th, made no impression from 4 out, 7th of 9, dist behind Five Star Getaway (10-11) at Kempton 3m hcp (2) sft in Dec.
Rocco (IRE) 12-1 (10-6) Prominent in chasing group, blundered and lost place, struggling towards rear when mistake 18th, tailed off 3 out, pulled up before next, at Cheltenham 3m 2f hcp (1) gs in Dec.
Storm Control (IRE) 11-1 (12-3) Led until 3rd, pressed leader, led again 7th until 10th, in front again 12th, over 1 length ahead and good jump at the last, wandered right and hung fire run-in, soon straightened and stayed on, always doing enough, won at Newbury 2m 7f hcp (3) gs in Jan beating Tango Boy (10-11) by 1/2l, 8 ran.
Grand Sancy (FR) 8-1 (11-0) Mid-division, lost place and pulled up before 3 out, at Ascot 3m hcp lst (1) gs in Dec.
Debece 2-1fav (11-7) Mostly jumped well, bit keen, tracked leaders, went 2nd 3rd, led 9th, went clear 12th, mistake and reduced lead 2 out, ridden between last 2, headed last, weakened run-in, 2nd of 8, 4 1/2l behind Fortescue (11-5) at Sandown 3m hcp (3) sft in Mar.
Hurricane Harvey 11-2 (10-2) Off the pace towards rear, plugged on in remote 5th, never any chance, 5th of 9, dist behind Commodore (10-0) at Cheltenham 3m 2f hcp (1) gs in Dec.
Cap Du Nord (FR) 7-2jfav (11-0) Disputed lead after 2nd, headed 4th, joined leader 6th, led 9th, joined next, headed 13th, lost place next, weakened after 4 out, 8th of 9, dist behind Five Star Getaway (10-11) at Kempton 3m hcp (2) sft in Dec.
Kapcorse (FR) 13-2 (10-12) Mid-division, headway into 4th 5 out, pressed leader 4 out, led 2 out, pushed along before last, ridden out run-in, stayed on well, won at Newbury 2m 6f hcp (2) gs in Nov beating Court Master (10-8) by 5 1/2l, 13 ran.
