Follow Your Fire has not been at his best recently while Chess Player never looked like winning when joint favourite at Southwell last month. Obey The Rules has been thereabouts off this mark since winning at Market Rasen in August. He handles the track and Brian Hughes is back on board but he’s worse off at the weights than when beaten by HEART OF A LION at Ludlow around this time last year and the top weight goes well fresh. Kepy Blanc bolted up here last month but has been hit with an 11lb hike in the ratings and was beaten by Chess Player at Worcester earlier. Master Malcolm won twice at Fontwell at the start of the year so looks best of the rest.
Heart Of A Lion (IRE) 9-2 (11-12) Chased leaders in 4th on inside, bad blunder and nearly unseated rider 4th, pushed along and weakened 8th, tailed off 4 out, pulled up quickly soon after, at Plumpton 2m 1f hcp (4) gs in Feb.
Imperial Hope (IRE) 10-3 (11-0) Led at steady pace, headed 4th and clear of remainder, led before 3 out, headed before last, weakened flat, 5th of 10, 9 1/2l behind Ridgeway (11-0) at Doncaster 2m 1f (4) gd in Jan.
Chess Player (IRE) 3-1jfav (12-2) Held up towards rear of mid-division, headway under pressure before the last, plugged on run-in, lost modest 3rd post, 4th of 11, 11l behind Gouet Des Bruyeres (11-6) at Southwell 2m hcp (5) gd in Sep.
Sir Egbert 40-1 (12-0) Pulled hard, tracked leaders, not fluent 9th, soon dropped to rear, faded after 4 out, 6th of 7, dist behind Court Royale (11-11) at Ffos Las 2m hcp (5) gd in Oct.
Kepy Blanc (FR) 10-3 (10-7) Mid-division, headway 6th, challenged 4 out, led 3 out, clear next, easily, won at Bangor-on-Dee 2m 1f hcp (5) gd in Sep beating Evron (11-13) by 14l, 10 ran.
Master Malcolm 18-5 (11-1) Soon well off the pace in rear, not fluent 5th, pushed along and outpaced 7th, headway out wide chasing leaders when hit 3 out, left 2nd and hampered last, ridden and stayed on run-in to lead towards finish, won at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp (5) gs in Mar beating Call Off The Dogs (11-7) by 3/4l, 6 ran.
Obey The Rules (IRE) 2-1fav (11-2) Tracked leaders, led before 4 out, ridden 3 out, headed after last, kept on, 3rd of 7, 1 1/2l behind Court Royale (11-11) at Ffos Las 2m hcp (5) gd in Oct.
Big Bee Hive (IRE) 33-1 (11-2) Towards rear, good headway on outer after 3 out, ridden to challenge early straight and left in front 2 out, jumped high last, kept on well run-in, won at Clonmel 2m hcp sft in Mar beating Early Arrival (11-9) by 1 1/4l, 16 ran.
Follow Your Fire (IRE) 11-1 (11-7) Mid-division on inside, pushed along after 4 out, weakened soon after, 8th of 11, 25 1/2l behind Gouet Des Bruyeres (11-6) at Southwell 2m hcp (5) gd in Sep.
Silken Moonlight 4-1 (10-7) Led until 5th, led 7th, headed 4 out, soon led again, in command flat, pushed out, won at Perth 2m hcp (5) gs in Jul beating War At Sea (10-1) by 1l, 9 ran.