held up towards rear, ridden along after 3 out, closed on leaders and switched right before next, led soon after 2 out, idled run in, kept on under pressure
held up in rear, effort to chase leaders after 3 out, weakened under pressure before next
held up, ridden after 6th, weakened quickly before 3 out, tailed off
chased clear leader to 7th, weakened and mistakes 3 out, tailed off
tracked leaders, went 2nd 7th, challenged from 3 out, one pace in 3rd when mistake 2 out and weakened
led, clear approaching 6th, headed and outpaced before 2 out, rallied run in to take 2nd final 50 yards
in touch, ridden after 5th, weakened before 3 out, tailed off
took keen hold, held up, no impression before 4 out, tailed off
tracked leaders, led before 2 out, soon headed, chased winner and kept on well run in, lost 2nd final 50 yards
The presence of Baracouda, who lines up in his first handicap in Britain, ensures that the rest of the field have to race from out of the weights proper but that might not prevent recent Warwick winner Mistanoora from beating Francois Doumen's star stayer. Obviously Baracouda warrants the utmost of respect but he faces no easy task giving 26lbs away to the five-year-old, who was a ready winner last time and still looks fairly treated off a 11lb higher mark today. The Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained gelding is only 1lb wrong at the weights and is better treated here than another last time out winner Ballylusky, who although winning well on his return to hurdling at Haydock last week, has to race off A 22lb higher mark today as he is 9lbs "wrong". Tom George's Turtle Soup and the Venetia Williams-trained Sonevafushi have ground conditions to suit but face an impossible task at the weights in a contest where Baracouda should have a big say in the outcome but where the vote goes to Mistanoora.
