blundered and unseated rider 1st
behind when blundered and fell 4th
raced in 4th, tracked leading pair 10th, went 2nd going well from 3 out, led 2 out, 2 lengths ahead when left clear last
tracked leader, led 4th to 4 out, outpaced by leading pair 3 out, left 2nd again at last
led to 4th, stayed pressing leader, led 4 out, headed 2 out, 2 lengths when blundered and fell last
in rear, driven and lost touch 9th, tailed off 3 out, stayed on to take poor 3rd run-in
raced in 3rd place until blundered 10th, stayed chasing leading pair but no chance and lost 3rd run-in
Harapour lost no caste in defeat behind the useful recruit Trabaolgan at Lingfield last time and is taken to open his account over fences here at the main expense of Time To Shine and King Harald. The last mentioned got no further than the second fence on his reappearance at Newbury recently but has always looked likely to do better over the larger obstacles than over timber and it may be too soon to give up on him yet. Hazeljack has run with credit in novice handicaps of late but this looks tougher and a bigger threat may come from Euro Bleu, who had some decent form over hurdles but has not been sighted for 560 days. Time To Shine also has an absence to overcome but was progressive over timber when last seen and could be interesting switching to fences now. She makes more appeal than Bandit Brown, who is probably flattered by having finished second at Towcester last time as only four of the nine runners that set out that day actually completed the course. The vote then goes to Harapour. The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding ended last season rated 125 over hurdles and his trainer has wasted no time in putting the six-year-old over fences, showing improved form behind Trabolgan last time. A reproduction of that effort should suffice.
