held up in rear, close up 6th, outpaced 4 out, soon beaten, tailed off
tracked clear leader, close up in 3rd at 6th, went 2nd again after 3 out, led last, driven clear flat, ridden out towards finish, ran on
held up in 3rd, close up in 2nd at 6th, led before 4 out, ridden between last 2, headed last, readily outpaced by winner flat
allowed clear lead, not fluent 5th, reduced advantage next, headed before 4 out, no chance with front pair from 2 out
Irish raider Veinard is no stable star having won once in 26 starts over hurdles and has yet to figure in four outings over fences. Raise A Spark scored over course and distance in November but has been beaten in a couple of subsequent starts in testing going and the form of Effet Special’s win over fences at Nantes is hard to assess as he debuts for Lucinda Russell’s yard. That leaves ZALVADOS, placed in all three starts over fences so far but clear of the rest when runner-up at Haydock last month and expected to make another bold bid in this.
Raise A Spark 9-1 (11-8) Tracked leader until after 4th, losing touch with front pair 9th, weakened before 3 out, refused and unseated rider last, at Haydock 2m (3) hvy in Dec.
Veinard (FR) 66-1 (11-12) Tracked leaders, jumped left 1st, mistake and unseated rider 3rd, at Gowran Park 2m sft in Jan.
Zalvados (FR) 2-1fav (11-6) Held up behind, headway 5 out, tracked leaders next, driven to challenge and every chance last, soon ridden, no extra towards finish, 2nd of 9, 2l behind Dicosimo (11-12) at Haydock 2m hcp (3) gs in Jan.
Effet Special (FR) (10-10) won at Nantes 2m 3f hvy in Jun beating Elle Est Sacree (10-5) by 1 3/4l, 7 ran.
