raced keenly, held up tracking leaders, pushed along and lost place before 8th, went remote 3rd 3 out
held up in 6th, closer at 2nd, not fluent 5th, pushed along in 4th after 4 out, soon ridden and weakened, tailed off and pulled up before 3 out
raced wide in 3rd, pushed along and dropped to rear going out on last circuit, reminders and beaten before next, tailed off and pulled up before 4 out
led, went clear before 3 out, reduced lead when hit next, headed and no extra run-in, kept on for clear 2nd
raced on inside tracking leaders, clear 3rd when hit 4 out, went 2nd turning in, awkward 3 out, closer next, led run-in, ridden and stayed on dourly
raced without hind shoes, tracked leader, pushed along and lost 2nd turning in, weakened and lost 3rd 3 out, tailed off and pulled up before next
Top Ville Ben will almost certainly try and grind this out from the front again, as he did when beating Emitom at Lingfield. The latter won this in 2020 but was only sixth last year when Third Wind was successful. Hughie Morrison's stayer should be approaching peak fitness after a couple of runs but has almost 20 lengths to find with Thomas Darby on Ascot running in December with Olly Murphy’s charge earlier winning the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury. MOLLY OLLYS WISHES has a 7lb mares’ allowance and that could prove invaluable on the forecast going. She’s won both previous starts over 3m and will be hard to beat again.
Third Wind 15-2 (11-0) Tracked leaders, pushed along and lost place 3 out, ridden next, rallied to go 3rd towards finish, 3rd of 7, 7 3/4l behind Sporting John (11-5) at Warwick 3m 1f hcp (2) sft in Jan.
Thomas Darby (IRE) 9-1 (11-7) Towards rear, pushed along and headway into 4th home turn, ridden to chase front pair after 2 out, kept on but no extra run-in, 4th of 8, 8 1/2l behind Champ (11-7) at Ascot 3m (1) gs in Dec.
Emitom (IRE) 11-8 (11-0) Held up in 4th, pushed along before 2 out, went 2nd before the last, stayed on same pace run-in, never going pace to challenge, 2nd of 4, 2 3/4l behind Top Ville Ben (11-0) at Lingfield 2m 7f (2) hvy in Jan.
Top Ville Ben (IRE) 6-1 (11-0) Made all, hit 7th, came clear before 2 out, stayed on strongly, unchallenged, won at Lingfield 2m 7f (2) hvy in Jan beating Emitom (11-0) by 2 3/4l, 4 ran.
Wholestone (IRE) 33-1 (11-6) Pressed leader, upsides 1st, led narrowly 2nd, headed 4th, upsides 5th, led marginally 4 out, headed when fell 3 out, at Haydock 3m hcp (1) sft in Nov.
Molly Ollys Wishes 13-8fav (11-4) Tracked clear leader after 1st, much closer 3 out, led turning in, 5 lengths ahead at the last, ridden and tiring run-in, all out, won at Ascot 3m (1) sft in Jan beating My Sister Sarah (11-4) by 1 3/4l, 5 ran.
