pressed leader, mistake 8th, led 15th, hard pressed 3 out, headed narrowly when left 5 lengths clear next, driven out, kept on
tracked leaders on outer, pushed along in 4th after 4 out, ridden and no chance with front trio after next, left modest 3rd 2 out
in touch in rear, left close up in 4th at 12th, tracked front pair 4 out, close up on outside next, soon driven and outpaced by front pair, 5 lengths down in 3rd when left 2nd 2 out, no chance with winner
tracked leaders until fell 12th
led, mistake 9th, headed 15th, pressed winner, took narrow advantage going well when fell 2 out
Black Corton has won four of his six chase starts and been second in the other two. He gets on well with Bryony Frost and was a ready winner over 2m5f at Newton Abbot last time but runner-up Sizing Tennessee is 8lb better off. Beat That was a top-class staying hurdler but has had his problems in recent years. He looked beaten when coming down at the last in the race won by FAGAN at Perth in July and Gordon Elliott's charge has since run a cracker trying to give weight to Ballyandy at the same track. He can resume winning ways as Worcester scorer Ballymalin looks held by Black Corton on collateral form.
Black Corton (FR) 11-8fav (10-8) Always prominent, led 11th, clear flat, stayed on well, won at Newton Abbot 2m 5f (2) gd in Oct beating Sizing Tennessee (10-8) by 3 1/4l, 5 ran.
Ballymalin (IRE) 7-4fav (10-12) Tracked leaders, went 2nd after 5 out, challenged on outside 3 out, ridden to lead narrowly flat, all out, just held on, won at Worcester 2m 7f (4) gs in Sep beating Knight Of Noir (10-12) by 1/2l, 7 ran.
Fagan 2-1 (11-8) Held up in rear, tracked front pair on inside 3 out, challenged next, ridden last, upsides and every chance flat, kept on until no extra towards finish, 2nd of 4, 1l behind Ballyandy (11-2) at Perth 2m 4f (3) hvy in Sep.
Beat That (IRE) 8-11fav (10-12) Led, soon clear, reduced lead when not fluent 12th, ridden and headed 2 out, just under 1 length down when fell last, at Perth 3m (4) gd in Jul.
Sizing Tennessee (IRE) 8-1 (10-8) 2nd until after 3rd, tracked leaders, 2nd again 4 out, every chance 2 out, driven approaching last, beaten flat, 2nd of 5, 3 1/4l behind Black Corton (10-8) at Newton Abbot 2m 5f (2) gd in Oct.
