3rd, beaten half a length, tracked leaders, led approaching 4 out, hit next, soon ridden, headed last, one pace and lost 2nd towards finish
dispute lead, until lead 7th, headed approaching 4 out, ridden and outpaced approaching 2 out, kept on to take 2nd towards finish
tracked leaders, hit 7th, weakened after 4 out
held up in rear, not fluent 6th, headway approaching 4 out, led last, kept on well flat
held up towards rear, not fluent 1st, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
held up towards rear, headway when mistake 11th, weakened 5 out, pulled up before 2 out
disputed lead until headed 7th, remained close up until lost place 13th, behind when blundered and unseated rider 4 out
The big race on the card can go to Keen Leader ahead of Chives and Hours. The selection stands on the edge of making his breakthrough into the staying chasers big league and ought to have even better to come as he will be just nine on January 1st. Having won the Tommy Whittle last season over course and distance, he has proven a liking for this venue and last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup sixth must surely go close here if he entertains Cheltenham aspirations again. Chives is high-class and was seventh in the 2003 Gold Cup. Much as he has not raced for 323 days, the stable generally gets them straight for their first runs but he was a long way behind the selection in this race last year and is worse off at the weights. Hours has had a patchy time since scoring in a valuable chase at Ascot last December but has to respected from the Martin Pipe camp, while Keen Leader's stablemate, Simply Gifted is talented but is rated 23lbs behind him, although, of course, he receives 14 of them today. Be My Manager and Moss Harvey similarly have something to find in a race where, as we say, the choice is Keen Leader.
