held up in rear, headway 5th, tracked leaders next, led 2 out, ran on well (3 fences ommited)
tracked leader, led after 3rd, headed 5th, rallied 3 out, kept on well closing stages
led until after 3rd, led again 5th, headed 2 out, soon under pressure, stayed on after last
tracked leaders, under pressure 5 out, weakened after next
chased leaders, under pressure 8th, struggling in rear when rider fell off at last
Nonrunner
VERKO has got his act together and, with Winston Churchill engaged yesterday at Lingfield, this looks good opportunity for Micky Hammond's six-year-old to complete a hat-trick with Finian O'Toole good value for his 7lb claim. Mansonien L'as appears to have lost the plot and Samson Collonges is 6lb out of the handicap but Veroce may be capable of better than he's shown so far.
Verko (FR) 5-2 (10-4) In rear, went 3rd at 3rd, mistake 4 out, outpaced after 2 out, kept on to lead run-in, won at Sedgefield 2m 5f hcp (4) hvy in Dec beating Total Assets (11-12) by 8l, 4 ran.
Veroce (FR) 6-1 (11-11) Led, headed before 3 out, ridden before last, soon weakened, 5th of 11, 23 1/2l behind Not A Bother Boy (11-12) at Sedgefield 3m 2f hcp (5) sft in Nov.
Mansonien L'as (FR) 22-1 (10-6) Chased leaders, went 2nd 11th, mistake 13th, driven along and lost 2nd before 4 out, weakened soon after, eased and pulled up approaching 3 out, at Wetherby 3m hcp (4) sft in Oct.
Asuncion (FR) 40-1 (10-5) Chased leaders, went 3rd before 10th, weakened from 3 out, 6th of 11, 25 1/4l behind Retrieve The Stick (11-12) at Sedgefield 2m 3f hcp (4) sft in Nov.
Samson Collonges (FR) 9-2 (10-4) Led, reminders and headed 4 out, weakened before 3 out, pulled up before 2 out, at Hexham 2m 4f hcp (5) gs in Nov.
Winston Churchill (IRE) 13-2 (10-9) Made all, challenged from 3 out, stayed on strongly after last, won at Chepstow 2m 3f hcp (4) hvy in Nov beating Quite By Chance (11-12), 7 ran.
