tracked leaders, led 3 out, ridden and headed 2 out, upside when blundered last, kept on same pace
held up, ridden and headway approaching 3 out, weakened from last
held up and mistakes, weakened from 3 out
in touch, ridden to lead 2 out, headed last 100 yards
held up in rear, headway after 2 out, ridden approaching last, kept on to lead last 100 yards
tracked clear leader until left in lead 4 out, headed next, soon weakened
led, soon clear, 8 lengths up when fell 4 out
held up towards rear, effort when hit 2 out, weakened last
Degas Art showed progressive form over hurdles last term and Howard Johnson's gelding should come on for his respectable reappearance run behind Katchit at Aintree last month; however, Gwanako should be hard to beat and he gets the vote, with Grand Bleu rated the pick of the remainder. The selection won his last five starts in France before making a winning to start for his new trainer Paul Nicholls when landing a Chepstow handicap in good fashion last month. A 10lb rise for that success looks perfectly fair and the four-year-old is taken to win his seventh race in succession. Alan King's Pouvoir has a chance of reversing Chepstow form with the selection on the revised terms but the winner won with a bit in hand and can confirm that. Jonjo O'Neill's En La Cruz would have claims on the pick of her form in France but may be best watched on her first start in the UK. Grand Bleu has done little wrong and the Doumen runners always warrant respect when sent over but Gwanako has a progressive profile and is taken to win again.
Gwanako (FR) 6-1 (11-0) In touch, ridden to lead approaching last, hit and kept on, won at Chepstow 2m 4yo hcp hdl (2) gd in Oct beating Pouvoir (10-0) by 1l, 12 ran.
Grand Bleu (IRE) 10-1 (11-0) Mid-division, headway approaching 3 out, outpaced from 2 out, 4th of 12, 21l behind Katchit (11-0) at Aintree 2m nov hdl Grd 1 (1) gd in Apr.
Degas Art (IRE) 11-8 (10-6) Held up, hit 4th, headway after 4 out, went 2nd 2 out, every chance last, soon ridden, kept on and held towards finish, 2nd of 4, 2l behind Katchit (11-7) at Aintree 2m hcp hdl (2) gd in Oct.
Pouvoir (FR) 4-1 (11-6) Mid-division, reminder 5th, ridden 2 out, ran on same pace from last, 4th of 10, 2l behind Kings Quay (11-9) at Wincanton 2m hcp hdl Grd 2 (1) gd.
Pigeon Island 33-1 (10-8) Held up in rear, headway approaching 3 out, stayed on same pace from next, 5th of 19, 9l behind Sizing Europe (11-6) at Cheltenham 2m hcp hdl Grd 3 (1) sft.
Mister Benedictine 14-1 (10-5) Held up towards rear, ridden after 3 out, stayed on from last, not reach leaders, 6th of 16, 4 1/2l behind Kanad (9-7) at Ascot 2m hcp hdl (2) gf.
En La Cruz (FR) (11-0) In touch to 2 out, soon beaten, 10th of 19, 13l behind Pancho Villez (10-4) at Auteuil 2m 2f hcp hdl hvy.
Boulavogue (IRE) 6-1 (10-4) Chased leaders, improved to lead soon after 3 out, joined next and soon headed, no impression under pressure and kept on same pace straight, 2nd of 13, 2l behind Erra Go On (9-7) at Galway 2m hcp hdl sft in Oct.
