left at start, took no part
held up towards rear, behind from 11th
held up towards rear, mistake 5th, jumped slowly 7th, hit 8th, struggling 10th, behind when mistake 15th, pulled up after
mid-division, headway 6th, not fluent 15th or when ridden 3 out, hit 2 out, stayed on flat
mid-division, headway 6th, mistake and ridden 3 out, no impression
held up, fell 8th
led until 4 out, ridden after 3 out, led again soon after 2 out, driven out, very game effort
held up in mid-division, ridden 8th, behind 13th, tailed off 15th, pulled up after
prominent, mistake 14th, lost place and ridden next, well beaten when hit 3 out, pulled up soon after
tracked leaders until mistake 3rd, not fluent 5th, mistake 8th, ridden 11th, struggling after 15th
prominent, not fluent 8th, led 4 out, pecked slightly 2 out, soon headed, hung left flat, stayed on, not able to get back to winner
in rear, behind 15th
tracked leaders on outside, not fluent 7th, soon lost place, hampered 8th, fell next
mid-division, ridden after 4 out, headway next, hampered 2 out, edged left approaching last, stayed on, not able to get to leaders
in rear and soon not going well, pulled up before 8th
held up in mid-division, headway approaching 4 out, hit next, weakened flat
tracked leaders, ridden after 12th, lost place when not fluent next, behind 15th, pulled up after
tracked leaders, outpaced before 3 out, weakened before next
prominent, ridden approaching 3 out, outpaced by leaders before next
Nonrunner
Some old favourites face the starter here but last year's Hennessy hero Carruthers, along with former National Hunt Chase winner Chicago Grey, was behind Galaxy Rock over a longer trip here earlier. Balthazar King, successful over the cross-country fences at the Festival here in March, was pulled up that day and earlier behind Exmoor Ranger at Ascot, though Vic Dartnall's enigmatic chaser has struggled to cope with the obstacles here in the past. Prince Tom has to improve if he's to complete his hat-trick in this grade while Bradley may need further and faster going and Knockara Beau usually finds at least one too good. Hold On Julio disappointed over C&D in March but Darna and Blues And Twos have plenty of scope. Emma Lavelle trains the latter and also fields QIANSHAN LEADER, who beat Inside Dealer and Kempton before winning at Doncaster and was a fair fifth in the Sky Bet Chase on Town Moor on his final start last season. Barry Geraghty is a significant booking for his reappearance and he gets a tentative vote.
Carruthers 25-1 (11-7) Tracked leader, led 3r to 10th, chased leader, lost place 14th, weakened before 3 out, 9th of 11, well behind Follow The Plan (11-7) at Aintree 3m 1f Grade 1 chs (1) gs in Apr.
Chicago Grey (IRE) 20-1 (10-13) Mid-division on inside when brought down 5th, in a race won by Neptune Collonges (11-6) at Aintree 4m 4f Handicap Chase (Grade 3) (7yo+) (1) gd in Apr, 40 ran.
Knockara Beau (IRE) 20-1 (11-7) Led, headed after 2nd, chased leaders, weakened before 3 out, 10th of 18, 23l behind American Spin (10-13) at Haydock 3m hcp hdl (2) sft in May.
Hold On Julio (IRE) 11-2fav (11-2) In touch on inside, outpaced 4 out, 10th when mistake next, weakened from 2 out, 10th of 19, 36l behind Alfie Sherrin (10-0) at Cheltenham 3m hcp chs G3 (1) gd in Mar.
Exmoor Ranger (IRE) 7-2 (11-7) Held up behind leaders, not fluent 8th or 14th, went 2nd 16th, 2 lengths down when fell 4 out, in a race won by Ashkazar (11-5) at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp chs 0-150 (2) sft in Apr, 6 ran.
Darna 11-8 (11-8) Held up in 3rd, pushed along after 12th, closing when not fluent 3 out, soon went 2nd, ridden to lead approaching 2 out, clear last, comfortably, won at Ascot 2m 5f nov chs (3) gd in Apr beating Prince Of Pirates (11-8) by 21l, 3 ran.
Balthazar King (IRE) 11-2 (10-9) Always prominent, led 2nd to 4th, tracked leader, mistake 6th, not fluent 3 out, led again next, hard pressed last, ridden flat, just held on, won at Cheltenham 3m 7f hcp chs (2) gd in Mar beating A New Story (10-6) by hd, 16 ran.
Possol (FR) 80-1 (11-7) Tracked leaders in 3rd, hit 9th, ridden and weakened before 3 out, 7th of 11, well behind Big Buck's (11-7) at Aintree 3m hdl G1 (1) gs in Apr '11.
Prince Tom 10-11 (11-5) Made all, clear from 3 out, unchallenged, won at Newton Abbot 2m 5f nov chs (3) sft in Sep beating Ixora (11-5) by 9l, 2 ran.
Billie Magern 6-1 (11-6) Led until 6th, led 8th, not fluent and headed 12th, not fluent next, hit 16th, hampered 4 out, 4 lengths 4th and looked to struggling when fell 3 out, in a race won by Ashkazar (11-5) at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp chs 0-150 (2) sft in Apr, 6 ran.
Galaxy Rock (IRE) 9-4fav (11-12) Led, headed after 7th, ridden when mistake 4 out, weakened after next, tailed off, 4th of 5, well behind Mavalenta (11-1) at Fontwell 3m 3f hcp hdl 0-135 (3) gs.
Swincombe Rock 12-1 (10-12) Tracked leaders, lost place 5th, reminder after 7th, ridden when not fluent 14th, weakened 16th, pulled up before 5 out, in a race won by Ikorodu Road (10-8) at Newbury 3m 2f hcp chs (2) gd in Mar, 10 ran.
Blues And Twos 8-11fav (11-0) Made all, clear 3 out, comfortably, won at Leicester 2m 7f nov chs (3) gd in Feb beating Pentiffic (11-7) by 10l, 4 ran.
Bradley Evensfav (11-13) Tracked leader from 2nd, led 5th, headed 12th, not fluent 14th (water) or 16th, ridden before 4 out, led approaching 3 out, driven and stayed on well flat, edged right towards finish, won at Cheltenham 3m 2f hts chs (4) sft in May beating Turko (11-11) by 3 1/2l, 6 ran.
Wellforth (IRE) 5-2 (11-6) Mostly 2nd, led briefly from before 8th to 10th, slight mistake 5 out, ridden to chase winner from 3 out, every chance approaching last, no extra run-in, kept on, 2nd of 4, 2 1/4l behind Shakervilz (11-2) at Listowel 2m 4f chs hvy in Sep.
Buck Mulligan 9-1 (10-12) Held up mid-division, ridden after last, one pace, 5th of 16, 13l behind The Disengager (11-0) at Market Rasen 2m 6f listed hcp chs (1) gd in Sep.
Qianshan Leader (IRE) 13-2 (10-8) Mid-division, headway 4 out, never on terms, 5th of 15, 16l behind Calgary Bay (11-11) at Doncaster 3m Listed Handicap Chase (0-155) (5yo+) (1) gs in Jan.
Inside Dealer (IRE) 12-1 (11-0) Mid-division, hit 6th, headway 13th, outpaced after 16th, modest 4th after 3 out, tailed off, 4th of 15, 39l behind Emmaslegend (10-9) at Uttoxeter 3m 2f lstd hcp chs (1) gd in Jul.
Fredo (IRE) 22-1 (11-11) Tracked leaders, ridden and lost place after 12th, soon behind, pulled up before 14th, in a race won by Fairoak Lad (11-4) at Ludlow 3m 1f hcp chs 0-130 (3) gd in May, 15 ran.
Stonethrower (IRE) 9-1 (11-7) Mid-division on inside, headway 10th, not fluent 14th, no extra last, 3rd of 8, 15l behind Nodforms Violet (11-5) at Perth 3m hcp chs 0-130 (3) gd in Sep.
