led, headed 2nd, led again 5th, hampered and almost took wrong course approaching 3 out, ridden and headed next, weakened approaching last
in touch, dropped rear approaching 4th, well behind from 7th, tailed off
held up in touch, headway approaching 6th, ridden and weakened approaching 2 out, tailed off
led 2nd, headed 5th, stayed prominent, hampered and pushed left approaching 3 out, led next, headed approaching last, one pace flat
in touch, ridden approaching 2 out., weakened approaching last
prominent when blundered and unseated rider 7th
held up towards rear, ridden after 6th, outpaced approaching 2 out, rallied approaching last, stayed on flat
held up, not fluent 4th, headway approaching 3 out, ridden approaching next, led last, kept on well flat
An open look to this handicap, with Ballylusky likely to be vying for favouritism with See You Sometime. The former has looked progressive this season, winning at both Wetherby and Market Rasen in November and then just going down by two and a half lengths to Nickel Sun at Ascot last time. The gelding handles soft ground and gets the trip, but a further 2lb rise for that defeat means that the handicapper might just have his measure now. Stablemate Prokofiev is another worth considering. A thorough stayer who loves some cut, he enjoyed an eight length success from Jollie Bollie at Sandown last time. With jockey bookings not confirmed at the time of writing, it will be interesting to see who rides him, but he perhaps now looks a better value alternative to Ballylusky. However, the selection here is the returning See You Sometime, who has been off the track since finishing second in a match with Ballycassidy at Huntingdon almost a year ago. He has gone well fresh in the past, is a course winner who also likes the ground and his one and half length defeat of Montalcino at Newbury last year looks very good now. A reproduction of anything like that form would give him every chance and he is taken to score. Paco Venture has been in good heart, winning four from six since September, but not in this sort of company. Raised 6lb for his latest win at Bangor, he may still be improving, but would prefer a sound surface and so is passed over here. Finally, Live The Dream - who racked up a hat-trick last Autumn, but has lost her form since - has slipped down the weights to the sort of mark which would give her a chance at her best. She would prefer a sound surface, but gets the trip and with A P McCoy in the plate she could go well with bottom weight.
