towards rear, ridden and headway approaching 2 out, one pace, no impression
chased leader, ridden approaching 2 out, kept on one pace, no impression
always prominent, led approaching 2 out, ridden approaching last, kept on well
held up towards rear, outpaced from 6 out, never dangerous
mid-division, weakened from 3 out, soon tailed off, pulled up before next
held up, headway approaching 2 out, soon ridden, chased winner from last, one pace
held up, headway approaching 2 out, soon ridden, one pace
led, ridden and headed approaching 2 out, soon weakened
held up in rear, badly outpaced from 6th, ridden after 3 out, kept on well from 2 out, never on terms
in touch, went 2nd approaching 6th, joined leader next, led approaching 2 out, soon headed, weakened
In the opener, we like the look of Forest Chief, with Rival Bidder, Sovereign State and Brave Effect rated as his biggest dangers. Being raised five pounds for a narrow Leicester win last time might, on the face of things, seem a little harsh on the selection. However, he's the type of horse that does not do much in front and, accordingly, cannot have been easy for the handicapper to assess. He looks set to go well. Rival Bidder's mark seems fair and he has place claims, while Sovereign State's jumping record is good, although he is five pounds above a previous-best winning mark. I Got Rhythm is struggling to win from his current mark, while Shady Man's sole win to date came in a seller. Brave Effect is now just four pounds above a winning mark but his rider claims three, so he holds place claims, while Red Flyer and Pompeii have bits of form that entitle them to some consideration but, overall, Forest Chief is the one for us.
