always behind
tracked leaders, led 4th, headed 6th, led again 7th, headed 10th, led briefly 4 out, ridden next, disputed lead 2 out, led approaching last, kept on
led, headed 4th, led briefly 6th, led again 10th, headed 4 out, led 3 out, challenged and disputed 2 out, headed and weakened
prominent, weakened soon after 7th
always behind, tailed off from 9th, pulled up before 2 out
tracked leaders, in 4th when ridden and outpaced 5 out, stayed on well to take 3rd close home
held up in touch, hit 8th, ridden to chase leading pair 4 out, stayed on to take 2nd flat
The likes of Star De Mohaison, Billyvoddan and Knowhere all have the ability to take high rank among the top novice chasers this season but The Listener has looked something special in his last two starts and is taken to make it three out of three over fences. The selection has the beating of Star De Mohaison on running at Exeter last month and, if anything, improved on his impressive display there when running away with a Grade 2 contest at Windsor two weeks ago. A repeat performance will make Robert Alner's gelding tough to beat. Jockey bookings suggest that Napolitain is the lesser fancied of the two runners form the yard of Paul Nicholls, while King Killone has more to do than when scoring at Newcastle last time. Leading Man is going the right way but needs to improve significantly to trouble the judge and of more interest may be Billyvoddan. Henry Daly's gelding had his colours lowered by Darkness here last month but is a gelding of some potential, while the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Knowhere is an unknown quantity over fences but this has always looked likely to be his game and he cannot be ruled out completely on his first start since October 2004. The Listener has been impressive in both starts over fences this term though and is hard to oppose.
Leading Man (IRE) 16-1 (11-0) Held up, tracked leaders approaching 10th, left in lead and clear 4 out, kept on, won at Wetherby 3m 1f nov chs (B) hvy in Dec beating Julius Caesar (11-5) by 12l, 5 ran.
The Listener (IRE) 5-4fav (11-10) Jumped well, tracked leader, led 4th, quickened clear after 4 out, impressive, won at Windsor 2m 4f nov chs Grd 2 (A) gs in Dec beating Lord Killeshanra (11-10) by 13l, 7 ran.
Billyvoddan (IRE) 7-2 (11-8) Tracked leaders, hit 2nd, not fluent 14th, driven 4 out, weakening when mistake 3 out, 3rd of 5, 26l behind Darkness (11-8) at Cheltenham 3m 1f nov chs (B) gs.
King Killone (IRE) 5-2 (10-13) Chased leader, led 12th, ridden approaching 4 out, hard ridden last, just held on, won at Newcastle 3m nov chs (C) gs in Nov beating Wild Cane Ridge (11-6) by a shd, 4 ran.
Knowhere (IRE) 2-1fav (11-0) Tracked leader, led 5th, ridden approaching last, driven out, won at Chepstow 2m 4f nov hdl Grd 2 (A) sft in Oct '04 beating Ladalko (11-0) by a nk, 6 ran.
Star De Mohaison (FR) 9-4fav (11-0) Tracked leaders, led after 7th, ridden and headed 3 out, no chance with winner, 2nd of 10, 9l behind The Listener (11-4) at Exeter 2m 3f nov chs (B) sft in Dec.
Napolitain (FR) 11-4jt-fav (10-11) Held up, in touch when fell at the 5th in race won by Billyvoddan (11-4) at Huntingdon 2m 4f nov chs (C) gd in Nov, 11 ran.
