led, blundered 3rd and 5th, headed turning in, no impression with front pair before 2 out, ridden and weakened flat
tracked leader, mistake 3rd, poised to challenge 3 out, led narrowly turning in, driven clear between last 2, ridden out flat, kept on
held up in 3rd, hit 3 out, headway and upsides on outside turning in, driven and unable to go with winner between last 2, no impression after, weakened into 3rd towards finish
held up in rear, not fluent 2nd, outpaced when hit 3 out, rallied after last, stayed on to take 2nd towards finish, no impression with winner
AL DANCER beat Uttoxeter runner-up Not That Fuisse 11 lengths when conceding 4lb in a handicap hurdle here in December and had almost seven lengths to spare over Getaway Trump over the smaller obstacles at Ascot in February. The latter is now a pound better off and later won at Ayr and Sandown but Nigel Twiston-Davies has high hopes that his grey will go to the very top over fences and he’s taken to make a winning start. Caius Marcius has won four of his eight chase starts but mostly against modest opposition and time may tell he is facing an impossible task conceding 8lb to these.
Caius Marcius (IRE) 1-3fav (11-12) Made all, jumped well, unchallenged, won at Newton Abbot 2m (3) gd in Sep beating Court Royale (11-2) by 9l, 4 ran.
Al Dancer (FR) 9-2jfav (11-7) In touch, pressed winner after 4 out, lost place approaching 2 out, soon outpaced, weakened between last 2, 10th of 16, 33 1/4l behind Klassical Dream (11-7) at Cheltenham 2m (1) sft in Mar.
Getaway Trump (IRE) 9-2fav (11-12) Chased leaders, going well when switched left before 2 out, led 2 out, ridden and stayed on strongly run-in,, won at Sandown 2m hcp (2) gd in Apr beating Harambe (10-12) by 2 3/4l, 15 ran.
Not That Fuisse (FR) 7-2 (11-4) Held up, progress 4 out, pushed along and slight lead last, soon headed, not quicken, 2nd of 6, 1l behind Erick Le Rouge (11-4) at Uttoxeter 2m 4f (3) sft in Oct.
