held up in rear, something amiss when pulled up after 1st
tracked leaders, lost place before 3 out, weakened approaching next
mid-division, last 5th, headway on outside 3 out, outpaced before next, no impression after, stayed on towards finish
mid-division, headway 3rd, went 2nd 3 out, led last, edged right when asserting flat, ran on
led until before 4th, mistake 3rd, weakened before next where another mistake
held up in rear, not fluent 3rd, headway 3 out, ridden after 2 out, 3rd and beaten last, one pace
tracked leader, led before 4th, headed last, stayed on same pace flat
WINNER MASSAGOT failed to get involved in a Grade 3 handicap at Ascot last time but had scored at the same track before that beating subsequent winner Rayvin Black. Alan King's charge should go close again in this lesser company. Template has been progressing well before a below par effort at Lingfield and is not out of this. He's preferred to Cotillion, whose last three wins over hurdles have come in selling races, while Monyjean and Apterix have both won over timber but don't arrive in the best of form.
Winner Massagot (FR) 7-1jfav (10-11) Held up in mid-division, some headway on inside before 2 out, mistake 2 out, soon weakened, 15th of 21, dist behind Jolly's Cracked It (11-3) at Ascot 2m hcp (1) gs in Dec.
Monyjean (FR) 14-1 (10-5) Held up in last pair, never on terms, well held 4 out, left 4th next, 4th of 6, dist behind Baltimore Rock (11-8) at Doncaster 2m hcp (3) gs in Dec.
Sleepy Haven (IRE) 15-2 (11-9) Chased leaders to 5th, struggling and reminders after next, left modest 4th 4 out, kept on approaching next, held when fell 2 out, at Catterick 2m hcp (3) sft in Jan.
Cotillion 4-7fav (11-6) Tracked leaders, went 2nd from 2 out, led before last, kept on well, won at Wetherby 2m 4f (5) hvy in Feb beating Maybe I Wont (10-10) by 4l, 6 ran.
Template (IRE) 4-1 (11-3) Led until 2 out, 3rd and no extra last, weakened into 4th flat, 4th of 8, 17 1/2l behind Dormouse (10-5) at Lingfield 2m hcp (3) hvy in Dec.
Minellaforleisure (IRE) 40-1 (11-3) In touch, weakened before 2 out, pulled up last, at Kempton 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Dec.
Apterix (FR) 12-1 (11-8) Held up in mid-division, not fluent 3 out, never involved, 10th of 17, 18l behind Kings Bayonet (11-4) at Huntingdon 2m hcp (3) sft in Jan.
