raced wide, close up, ridden and weakened 2 out
in touch in rear, ridden 2 out, never a factor
keen, close up, ridden and headway 2 out, not fluent next, weakened flat
keen, raced wide, close up in rear, headway to track leaders 3rd, outpaced 2 out, rallied to go 3rd flat
tracked leader, clear with leader 3 out, ridden to lead 2 out, driven flat, headed towards finish
keen, tracked leaders, pushed along approaching 2 out, ridden to chase leader last, driven and stayed on gamely to lead towards finish
led, clear with one other 3 out, headed when blundered next, nearly unseated rider, not recover
After scoring over fences, BARRYS JACK was given a confident ride by Kaine Wood here last week back over hurdles. That was a conditionals' race so Brian Ellison's in-form seven-year-old races off the same mark and may be capable of completing a quick hat-trick. After almost a year on sidelines, Spectator may need this but remains unexposed over timber. Zenafire and Hint Of Grey are both fit from the Flat but Cousin Oscar looked high enough in the weights at Hexham in June. Idder won a three-runner race here in May but is still 2lb higher.
Cousin Oscar (IRE) 5-1 (11-12) In touch in 4th, in 3rd before 2 out, soon pushed along, weakened before last, 4th of 6, 20 3/4l behind Desert Island Dusk (10-5) at Hexham 2m hcp (3) gd in Jun.
Zenafire 16-1 (9-2) Mid-division, headway over 3f out, soon weakened, 8th of 12, 19 3/4l behind Blue Hussar (9-10) at York 2m hcp (4) gs in Sep.
Hint Of Grey (IRE) 5-1 (9-7) Mid-division, headway over 2f out, chased leaders over 1f out, never able to challenge, 4th of 12, 12 1/2l behind Four Kingdoms (8-8) at Yarmouth 1m 3f hcp (6) gd in Oct.
Idder (IRE) 33-1 (10-2) In rear, pushed along after 4 out and outpaced, last of 12, 30 1/4l behind Master Of Irony (11-3) at Wetherby 2m hcp (3) gd in Oct.
Spectator 10-3 (11-5) Chased leaders, mistake 2nd, 3rd after 6th, driven and went 2nd 2 out, no impression last, lost 2nd 100 yards out, kept on same pace in 3rd, 3rd of 8, 3 1/2l behind The Character (11-5) at Musselburgh 2m (4) gd in Nov.
Barrys Jack (IRE) 2-1fav (11-9) Tracked leader and keen, led before last, just held on, won at Carlisle 2m 1f hcp (4) sft in Oct beating Vercingetorix (12-0) by 1/2l, 13 ran.
Marlais 22-1 (11-8) Held up towards rear, pushed along before 3 out, soon weakened, last of 6, 15 3/4l behind Samson (11-4) at Uttoxeter 2m hcp (4) gs in Sep.
