held up in rear, smooth headway 2 out, shaken up to challenge last, still every chance flat, stayed on
held up in rear, ridden 3 out, soon beaten
reminded 3rd, always behind
held up in rear, good headway approaching 2 out, ridden to chase leaders approaching last, one pace flat
held up, brief effort 3 out, soon weakened
in touch, mistake 4th, chased leaders 2 out, ridden and weakened approaching last
in touch, ridden to chase leaders approaching last, no extra flat
always prominent, not fluent 5th, led after 2 out, strongly pressed last, ran on
with leader, not fluent 3 out, led next, soon ridden and headed, weakened approaching last
chased leaders, ridden after 2 out, weakened approaching last
make most to 2 out, ridden and weakened approaching last
Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls hold the key to this competitive handicap saddling seven of the 14 runners between them and preference is for the progressive Perouse, who gets the verdict over stablemate Sud Bleu and Pirandello. The last mentioned is well treated with the selection on Huntingdon form last month but disappointed at Ascot last time behind Thesis. Sud Bleu ran a fine race that day, going down by just two lengths and holds both Pirandello and Reiziger on running there. The Paul Nicholls-trained gelding also has the beating of Nicky Henderson's Petanque on running at Newbury previously and Ruby Walsh cannot have had an easy choice between him and Perouse. However, the last mentioned has done little wrong of late and could still be ahead of the handicapper if judged by his last time out defeat of a decent field at Cheltenham last time. Martin Pipe's Gone Far is capable of better than he showed on his recent return and it will be interesting to see what the formerly useful Armen can do on his first start for nearly three years. They look the pick of Pipe's quintet but for the winner we have to side with Perouse, who remains one to stay on the right side of.
