led, ridden before 2 out, headed approaching last, kept on same pace, no impression with winner flat
raced keenly, held up in rear, headway to dispute 2nd 3 out until next, soon ridden, 6 lengths 3rd and one pace when mistake, slipped and fell last
tracked leading pair, went 2nd 4 out, switched outside to challenge when wandered and ran green approaching 2 out, led before last, stayed on well to go clear flat
tracked leader, wandered approaching 2nd, mistake 5th, lost place 4 out, soon lost touch, tailed off when left 3rd last
Disappointingly just the four runners are due to line up for this novices' hurdle which looks little more than a match between Cass Bligh and VERTIGE DORE with preference for the latter. The selection failed to win in three starts for Willie Mullins in bumpers in Ireland but showed a decent level of form and wasted no time in opening his account for Paul Nicholls when comfortably justifying short odds at Worcester earlier this month. The five-year-old looks one to keep on the right side of and makes more appeal than Don McCain's Flichity, who is becoming frustrating and may need more time. Fenella Mere makes no appeal and the danger to Vertige Dore is Adrian Murray's Cass Bligh, who showed fair form in bumpers and has already opened his account over timber having won at Gowran Park in March but he does have a penalty to carry for that.
Cass Bligh (IRE) 12-1 (11-12) Tracked leaders, 7th halfway, 3rd approaching 2 out, no extra in 5th entering straight, kept on one pace, 5th of 23, 20l behind Arvika Ligeonniere (11-12) at Punchestown 2m nov hdl gd in Apr.
Flichity (IRE) 2-1fav (11-0) Held up in rear, mistake 1st, not fluent next, hit 3rd, hampered next, headway soon after, weakened approaching 3 out, tailed off, 6th of 10, well behind Bold Exit (10-11) at Cartmel 2m 1f mdn hdl (4) gd in Jul.
Vertige Dore (FR) 4-9fav (11-1) Held up behind, headway over 5f out, led going well over 2f out, clear when hung right over 1f out, ridden out, won at Worcester 2m NH flat (6) gd beating Point Blank (11-0) by 6l, 14 ran.
Fenella Mere 150-1 (10-3) Held up behind, reminder after 7th, soon weakened, tailed off, 8th of 9, well behind Redunderthebed (10-10) at Bangor 2m 4f mrs nov hdl (4) gd in Jul.
