held up, blundered 7th, ridden 10th, soon weakened, tailed off when pulled up before 13th
held up, headway when mistake 13th, ridden next, weakened 4 out
in touch, headway 14th, not fluent next, ridden approaching 4 out, stayed on flat, not troubled winner
prominent, led 4 out, ridden and headed three out, weakened flat
jumped right, led to ninth, ridden after 12th, soon weakened, behind when pulled up before 15th
prominent, pecked first, mistake 6th, led 9th, headed and mistake 4 out, soon weakened
held up in rear, headway 10th, led 3 out, pecked 2 out, ridden out
jumped right, prominent, lost place 4th, tailed off when pulled up before 15th
A terrible contest this one, with a trip to the bar the best option, but if we must have a bet then it might be worth chancing the fact that Kingsbridge will stay, with Mister Kingston and Millennium Gold the likely pursuers. The Martin Pipe-trained gelding has not won from 11 starts over either fences or hurdles but has at least shown some decent efforts in defeat on his last three starts, and has a clear chance on the book judging by his latest start at Newton Abbot. However, all those three runs were over two miles and this is much much further. The decent ground will help him get home though and against some very moderate opposition we will risk his stamina against these plodders. Mister Kingston would have to have a chance based on his second to Bronhallow at Stratford last time, but that was over three miles and he struggled to get home, so the extra two furlongs are not going to do him any favours here and the best he can hope for may have to be a place again. Of the remainder, Millennium Gold is a real one pacer but is at least a safe ride for his jockey and should be good enough to jump round for third placed money, with so many doubts about the rest of them. The vote, though, goes to Kingsbridge.
