held up in touch, not fluent 5 out, driven to challenge 3 out, soon chasing leaders, mistake last, soon weakened
in touch, effort 3 out, stayed on under pressure to go 3rd before last, never able to challenge
chased leaders, slow 6th and 7th, weakened 3 out
led, hard driven after 5 out, soon headed and lost place, rallied after last
tracked leader, led approaching 4 out, headed 2 out, rallied and every chance last, no extra flat
chased leaders, driven to challenge 4 out, led 2 out, hard pressed last, stayed on strongly
Smokey George is a bit of an enigma but is back in this grade for the first time since scoring at Exeter in November and shouldn't be left out of calculations. Stormyisland Ahead should be all the better for a recent run over hurdles but neither Rudigreen nor Pacha D'Oudairies have shown much lately, the latter finishing a long way behind Waltzing Tornado over 3m here last time. BILLYBO also had a rear view of Andy Hobbs' charge but didn't give his true running that day and may be capable of reversing the form on slightly better terms over a shorter trip - he gets a tentative vote.
Smokey George 15-2 (11-8) Mistakes, held up in rear, jumped left 3rd, effort 4 out, weakened before next, pulled up after blundering 2 out, in a race won by Five Rivers (11-4) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp chs 0-105 (4) gd, 10 ran.
Stormyisland Ahead 33-1 (10-1) Mid-division, not fluent 7th, switched right and headway after 3 out, jumped left next, one pace, no impression, 4th of 11, 22l behind Open Day (11-6) at Ffos Las 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gs.
Rudigreen (IRE) 8-1 (10-3) Held up in touch in rear, headway 9th, mistake 13th, soon weakened, tailed off, 4th of 5, well behind Di Kaprio (11-12) at Ffos Las 2m 5f hcp chs 0-120 (4) gs.
Pacha D'Oudairies (FR) 14-1 (11-6) Tracked leaders, challenged 7th, ridden after 10th, weakened from 14th, 8th of 11, well behind The Last Bridge (10-1) at Ffos Las 3m hcp chs 0-95 (5) gs.
Billybo 5-1 (11-8) Held up, headway 12th, ridden approaching 4 out, weakened from 2 out, 4th of 11, 26l behind The Last Bridge (10-1) at Ffos Las 3m hcp chs 0-95 (5) gs.
Waltzing Tornado (IRE) 10-1 (11-1) Held up in rear, mistake 2nd, headway after 14th, close up when not fluent 4 out, no impression on winner before last, stayed on same pace, 2nd of 11, 7l behind The Last Bridge (10-1) at Ffos Las 3m hcp chs 0-95 (5) gs.
