chased leader approaching 4th, lost touch 5th, soon behind, ridden and stayed on one pace from 2 out
led and jumped left throughout, clear after 3rd, ridden and headed 2 out, soon weakened
held up last, chased leader approaching 4th, headway and challenged approaching 3 out, led on bit 2 out, soon pushed clear, hit last comfortably
prominent, ridden and headway approaching 3 out, went 2nd after 2 out, stayed on but no chance with winner
Researcher should have little more than an exercise canter and is confidently selected to beat Mrs Philip in this mares' only event. Researcher was good enough to win over a mile and a half on the Flat for Ralph Beckett last year and did not taken long to open her account over timber. That was here last April when she made mincemeat of her only serious rival Sovereign's Gift over two furlongs shorter than today's trip. Absent since then, she lines up carrying a penalty but has been found a soft opportunity to bounce back with a follow-up victory. The Hobbs-Johnson team have been churning out the winners lately and Mrs Philip will be expected to run well. She had the misfortune to find one too good in each of her two bumpers, including here, and also turned out at the West-Country track on her debut over timber in May, finishing fourth. She has to improve a lot to trouble the selection, while Andromache has shown little on the Flat in the past, and is likely to remain a maiden after this. All in all, we do not have to dig too deep in the form-book to come up with Researcher as the obvious selection.
