tracked winner, ridden and every chance 3 out, switched left approaching 2 out, unable to quicken flat
made all, ridden after 9th, edged left approaching last, driven out
Xellance lines up in form and can shrug off topweight to oblige, with Sovereign likely to give Philip Hobbs' charge most to do. Formerly trained by Mark Johnson on the Flat, it has taken time for Xellance to get the hang of things since going over hurdles, but he has suddenly found his feet, winning three of his last five starts and being placed on numerous occasions since May. Richard Johnson gets on really well with the six-year-old who may well have scored on his first try over three miles at Market Rasen but for clouting the final two flights. In truth, he probably deserves a bit of a rest, having been on the go all summer, but the stable won this event 12 months ago with Pure Fun and Hobbs will hope that Xellance is not too high in the weights in a bid to keep the prize in the Minehead stable. He has to give lumps of weight to Sovereign who has also been a model of consistency this term. She made Satshoon pull out all the stops at Exeter recently and stays every yard of today's trip. However, the suspicion is that even though she is in receipt of 11lbs from the selection, that may not be enough. Do It On Dani and Derring Bridge look well held, and in what should in reality be a match, Xellance can win again before taking a well-earned break.
