raced wide in mid-division, went left and hit 3rd, mistake and lost place next, towards rear and never on terms after
led, went left 1st, went left 8th, went left again and headed 3 out, hit 2 out, soon ridden, kept on same pace
chased leaders, 2nd 4 out, led 3 out, came clear next, stayed on strongly
chased leaders, weakened and behind 7th, tailed off
held up in last pair, headway 6th, kept on same pace from 3 out
keen in mid-division, headway chasing leaders 4 out, weakened next
chased leaders, mistake 6th, weakened after next, tailed off when blundered 4 out, pulled up before next
held up in rear, headway and chased leaders before 3 out, kept on same pace run-in
raced keenly, wide and hung left throughout, chased leaders, weakened 5th, behind and tailed off before 3 out
chased leader until 4 out, chased leaders in 3rd, pushed along before 3 out, weakened from 2 out
NonRunner
Gino Trail beat Dolos in this last year off a 3lb lower mark and was then runner-up to Le Prezien in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham. The veteran is 5lb better off with the top weight today but hasn’t raced since April and Azzuri has been absent since July while it’s more than a year since Not Another Muddle last saw a racecourse. Dolos is 5lb higher than 12 months ago and has become hard to place while Bigmartre’s jumping remains a concern and Overtown Express was never travelling on his reappearance and normally runs well fresh. Darebin won over track and trip last month but is effectively 9lb higher now. COPAIN DE CLASSE was well behind Azzuri at Ayr last spring but is a massive 17lb better off. There is likely to be a strong pace in this and that will suit Bryony Frost’s mount as he stays further than this. Red Mix arrives from France with a mixed record and may need this.
Le Prezien (FR) 5-2 (11-4) Made most, not fluent and headed narrowly 4 out, driven and lost place after 3 out, beaten next, soon weakened, 5th of 6, 25 1/2l behind Sceau Royal (11-3) at Cheltenham 2m (1) gd in Nov.
Gino Trail (IRE) 10-1 (11-12) Led, hit 4th and headed, soon led again, hit next, clear 8th until before 3 out, headed 2 out, 3rd and weakening when hit last, 3rd of 16, 21 1/4l behind Bentelimar (10-8) at Aintree 2m hcp (1) sft in Apr.
Dolos (FR) 5-2 (11-4) Raced keenly, held up, closer in 4th place at 4th, travelling well on outside before 2 out, no extra in 3rd between last 2, 3rd of 5, 10 1/4l behind Kildisart (10-10) at Ascot 2m 5f (2) sft in Dec.
Azzuri 7-1 (10-7) Prominent, soon 2nd, on terms after halfway, soon led, attempted to assert over 2f out, headed over 1f out, no extra and one pace after, 4th of 20, 11 1/4l behind Uradel (10-9) at Galway 2m 1f hcp Yielding in Jul.
Overtown Express (IRE) 14-1 (11-12) Raced keenly in last pair, tailed off and well off the pace when blundered 8th and 9th, pulled up before 11th, at Ascot 2m 3f hcp (2) sft in Dec.
Copain De Classe (FR) 7-4fav (11-0) Tracked leaders, went 2nd from 6th, ridden before 2 out, kept on and lost 2nd place towards finish, 4th of 7, 10l behind Calipto (11-1) at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (2) gd in Jan.
Red Mix (FR) (11-0) 3rd of 4, 5l behind Liberatore (10-7) at Bordeaux Le Bouscat 2m 3f gd in Oct.
Not Another Muddle 5-4fav (11-12) Pulled hard early, held up in last pair, steady headway 5th, 3rd going well approaching 3 out, challenged in 2nd next, led before last, stayed on well, ridden out, won at Leicester 2m hcp (4) sft in Jan beating Vocaliser (10-11) by 2 1/4l, 8 ran.
Commis D'Office (FR) 20-1 (10-7) Led to 9th, weakened from 5 out, pulled up, at Haydock 2m 4f hcp (3) gs in Feb.
Darebin (GER) 7-2 (10-5) Jumped well, made all, pushed along after 4 out, ridden between last 2, soon clear, not fluent last, stayed on well, driven out, won at Sandown 2m hcp (2) gs in Jan beating Capeland (11-12) by 1/2l, 4 ran.
Bigmartre (FR) 8-1 (12-0) Led, ridden, mistake and headed 2 out, no extra flat, 4th of 9, 9 1/4l behind Capeland (11-0) at Ludlow 2m hcp (2) sft in Dec.
