held up in touch, joined leaders 8th, ridden 10th, mistake 11th, chasing leaders when mistake 13th, weakened next
tracked leader, led 4th, headed approaching 12th, ridden to lead approaching 2 out, ridden clear
jumped right and unseated rider 1st
held up, reminders 7th, in 3rd and close up when fell 4 out
led, headed 4th, ridden and weakened 11th, lost touch 13th
tracked leaders, ridden from 5 out, weakened 3 out
tracked leaders, led approaching 12th, mistake 3 out, ridden and soon headed and weakened
Cornish Sett gets a narrow vote over Monkerhostin and Our Vic in the day's feature race. The fact that Monkerhostin lines up off topweight here has caused quite a few defections as most of the field would have been well out of the handicap. That will help Cornish Sett who can race off his correct mark, and he can prove not just the best of Paul Nicholls's trio, but also the outright winner. He ran a blinder to dead-heat in the Vodafone Gold Cup at Newbury before failing to give his best in the Jewson over the course-and-distance at the Festival. Ruby Walsh would have had the choice, and if the seven-year-old produces the form that he is capable of, then he has made the right one. Monkerhostin has been an absolute credit to connections all season, but he has to give lumps of weight to the selection, while Our Vic is a Jeckyl and Hyde character and we just do not know which guise will turn up today. It is all a bit of a guessing game, but at the weights, we have to side with Cornish Sett.
Monkerhostin (FR) 9-2 (11-8) Held up in rear when hampered 1st, headway to track leaders approaching 8th, pushed along approaching 15th, weakened approaching 3 out, 4th of 9, 24l behind Celestial Gold (11-8) at Aintree 3m 1f chs Grd 2 (1) gd.
Our Vic (IRE) 11-2 (11-5) With leader until 4 out, weakened rapidly 2 out, virtually pulled up flat, tailed off, 9th of 11, well behind Fondmort (11-0) at Cheltenham 2m 5f chs Grd 2 (1) gd in Mar.
Le Roi Miguel (FR) 150-1 (11-7) In rear until pulled up at the 19th in race won by Numbersixvalverde (10-8) at Aintree 4m 4f hcp chs Grd 3 (1) gs, 40 ran.
Cornish Sett (IRE) 9-1 (11-8) Held up in rear, not fluent 7th, some headway when blundered 4 out, never dangerous, 7th of 18, 20l behind Reveillez (10-11) at Cheltenham 2m 5f nov hcp chs (1) gd in Mar.
Kadarann (IRE) 16-1 (11-5) Not fluent 1st, ridden 7th, always behind, last of 12, well behind Dempsey (11-12) at Sandown 2m hcp chs 0-145 (2) gs in Jan.
Kelrev (FR) 50-1 (11-1) Mid-division, headway 11th, ridden approaching 3 out, stayed on flat, no chance with winner, 2nd of 24, 9l behind Non So (11-3) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp chs Grd 3 (1) gd in Mar.
Too Forward (IRE) 16-1 (11-4) Held up in touch, driven after 4 out, in touch when swerved and unseated rider 2 out in race won by Non So (11-3) at Cheltenham 2m 5f hcp chs Grd 3 (1) gd in Mar, 24 ran.
