led early, chased leaders, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
with leaders, ridden to lead briefly over 1f out, kept on same pace
with leaders, ridden halfway, weakened over 1f out
slowly into stride, held up, ridden and headway over 1f out, no extra well inside final furlong
reared start, held up and keen, headway and not clear run over 2f out, ridden to lead final furlong, ran on
chased leaders, pushed along halfway, not clear run over 1f out, ridden to chase winner inside final furlong, ran on
soon led, ridden over 2f out, headed final furlong, no extra
slowly into stride, soon chasing leaders, ridden over 2f out, one pace final furlong
It is probably fair to say that a few of these have been frustrating horses to follow and the selection of Material Witness is based as much on hope as it is in confidence that he can repel the challenges represented by the likes of Hiccups and Million Percent, who are capable of playing leading roles but have been hard to win with in recent times. The same comments apply to Willhewiz, who will be sporting blinkers for the first time in a bid to rekindle his old spark that saw him reach a ceiling rating of 100 when he was at his best. However, the headgear is unlikely to drag that much out of him and he may find at least one too good if he runs to his recent level. Banjo Bay is another that has lost his way over the last couple of seasons and his going days are becoming harder and harder to predict. He is in the right hands now though, and it will be interesting to see how he fares this afternoon. A watching brief is therefore advised regarding David Nicholls' charge as he could be a very well weighted if he scraps into something like the Wokingham later in the season. However, Material Witness appeals as the one to be on for this more immediate target and, after posting a timely reminder that he is approaching a handy mark at Goodwood last time, he can make the most of the handicapper's leniency today.
