led, blundered 14th, headed and weakened next
going well in 3rd when blundered and fell 15th
in touch until ridden and weakened from 14th
behind, steady headway from 14th, led after 2 out, stayed on under pressure flat, all out
close up, not fluent 8th, went 2nd aftr 12th, blundered 14th, weakened after 4 out
behind, mistake 4th and 6th, stayed on under pressure from 4 out, stumbled 2 out, mistake last, stayed on strongly flat, not reach winner
chased leader, mistake 10th, soon lost place, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
in touch, mistake 9th, led 15th, ridden and headed after 2 out, no extra flat
in touch, blundered 4th, weakened 4 out, jumped left next, jumped badly left and fell 2 out
behind, bad blunder 2nd, mistakes 14th and 3 out, stayed on under pressure
A close-knit handicap and with only 8lb's separating the top nine in the weights this is a hard race to call. Ballinclay King is returning to a more realistic mark and has shaped as if returning to form of late. He has stamina to burn and will relish the ground if this does not come around too soon after his outing at Cheltenham earlier in the month. But he does still have a welter burden to carry today. Merchants Friend, whose stable have been firing in the past month, is now 13lb higher than when he won at Plumpton at the start of last month and has a little to prove on his first attempt at a trip of three miles. Desailly, on the other hand, has no doubts about getting the trip and will have his supporters after a good effort at Exeter just over a week ago. However, he was travelling smoothly on that occasion and found disappointingly little when asked to close in on the winner near the finish. Others with strong claims on the pick of their efforts are Handyman and Eau De Cologne, but the Venetia Williams-trained Itsonlyme has a very good strike-rate and is chosen to add to his tally today. He finished in front of some very useful types at Wincanton last time and should find the conditions much to his liking as he bids for a ninth career win from what will be only his seventeenth start.
