led 1st, headed before next, stayed prominent until weakened quickly after 12th, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out
held up, headway 11th, went 2nd next until weakened last, 3rd when pulled up flat, dismounted
tracked leaders throughout, weakened approaching 15th, left poor 3rd after last
held up, headway 7th, lost position next, ran on from 3 out, never dangerous
led after 1st, clear from 10th, slight mistake 3 out, unchallenged
always towards rear, tailed off from 3 out
in touch until ridden 10th, weakened next, tailed off from 13th
This is not the most competitive of handicap chases ever run at Chepstow and can go to the top weight Bay Island. Heather Dalton's gelding notched up a hat-trick of wins in handicap company during the autumn and looked in need of the run on his return to action, following a 10-week break, when second to Double Bogey Blues at Hereford recently. Admittedly the seven-year-old has been raised a further 4lbs since then but, with more improvement to come, he is taken to defy that rise and resume winning ways. The Seamus Mullins-trained Our Jolly Swagman, who holds See You Around on running here last month, would probably prefer a softer surface as would Colin Tizzard's gelding. The same may be true of Nick Gaselee's Romantic Hero although only one (disappointing) run on ground faster than good to soft is hardly a reliable case for saying he will not handle the conditions. Former hunter Derring Dove looks the best of the remainder judged by his second to Aller Moor at Hereford last time.
