held up in rear, smooth headway to 4th and hit 7th, led 4 out, not fluent 2 out, soon drew clear, kept up to work run in
held up in touch in 5th, dropped to last pair 7th, modest 4th well before 2 out, kept on run in pressing for modest 3rd
led, hit 2nd, not fluent 6th, headed 4 out, chased winner and stayed challenging, well held soon after 2 out
raced wide, chased leader until before 3rd, disputing 2nd after until before 4 out, chased leaders, weakened well before 2 out
last pair, weakened 4 out, tailed off
tracked leading pair, went 2nd before 3rd until approaching 4 out, chased leading pair, no impression and outpaced before 2 out, held on for 3rd
chased leading trio, pushed along before 4 out, weakened next
A very competitive finale in which none of the seven runners can be discounted, though bumper winner Delgany Demon makes his hurdling debut. By The Boardwalk wasn't beaten far over track and trip in November but Ceasar Milan has been a shade disappointing in his two runs to date, though he was up against a smart novice at Chepstow last time. Call The Cops is upped in grade but was impressive at Towcester and is preferred to Doncaster fourth Swallowshide. KNOCK HOUSE only finished half-a-length behind subsequent Warwick and Wincanton winner Champagne West over 2m4f here in November. The latter is an improving novice but Mick Channon's charge, whose Plumpton win has been franked, is 4lb better off now and can reverse that earlier form.
Champagne West (IRE) 6-4fav (10-2) Tracked leader, led 4th, ridden 2out, left clear last, won at Wincanton 2m 6f hcp hdl (2) hvy in Dec beating Old Tricks (10-0) by 10l, 8 ran.
Call The Cops (IRE) 7-4fav (11-0) Tracked leaders, went 2nd and challenged after 3 out, led before next, ridden clear between last 2, stayed on well, won at Towcester 2m mdn hdl (5) sft in Dec beating Major Milborne (11-0) by 7l, 14 ran.
Knock House (IRE) 10-11fav (10-12) Always prominent, hard driven after 3 out, every chance next, led approaching last, ran on well, won at Plumpton 2m 5f nov hdl (4) sft in Dec beating Marcilhac (10-12) by 3l, 10 ran.
Swallowshide 4-1 (11-5) Held up in mid-division, ridden and headway approaching 3 out, left in modest 4th next, 4th of 21, 8l behind Oscar Hoof (10-12) at Doncaster 2m 3f nov hdl (4) gs in Dec.
By The Boardwalk (IRE) 8-1 (10-12) Held up in rear, headway in 3rd well before 2 out, driven after 2 out, stayed on same pace flat, 3rd of 5, 2 1/4l behind Doing Fine (10-12) at Ascot 2m 6f nh nov hdl (2) gs in Nov.
Ceasar Milan (IRE) 5-2 (11-0) Mid-division, headway approaching 7th, chased winner before 3 out, well held from next, stayed on same pace, 2nd of 15, 19l behind Deputy Dan (11-0) at Chepstow 2m 4f mdn hdl (4) hvy in Dec.
Delgany Demon 5-2 (10-11) Tracked leaders, ridden 3f out, went 2nd 2f out, led entering final furlong, stayed on well, won at Towcester 2m NH flat (6) hvy in Dec beating Coinage (11-0) by 5l, 7 ran.
