prominent, hit rail on bend off 1st, headway approaching 3 out and ridden, switched left approaching last, stayed on to go 2nd close home
held up in mid-division, headway and chased leader approaching 2nd, jumped right 3 out, mistake 2 out, eased when beaten flat
led, quickened approaching 3 out, ridden after 3 out, clear 2 out, easily
prominent, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
held up last, ridden approaching 3 out, soon weakened
chased leader, ridden and weakend 3rd, pulled up approaching 3 out
The progressive Marcel missed yesterday's Totesport Trophy preferring this easier option in preparation for a possible tilt at the Arkle next month and is preferred to My Way De Solzen and Amarula Ridge. The last mentioned, a useful horse on the flat in Ireland, seemed not to stay two miles on his hurdling debut when readily beaten by good looking recruit Penzance, with Jimmy Frost's Critical Stage held in third place. Amarula Ridge cannot be ruled out but needs to improve dramatically to trouble the selection. Give Me Love has yet to reproduce his French form in two starts since joining Paul Nicholls and of more interest is Alan King's My Way de Solzen who won his first two starts over hurdles at Leicester and Bangor in good fashion before coming up against Marcel in the Tolworth Hurdle last time. My Way de Solzen has a 2lb pull on running that day but that should not be enough to see him reverse form with Marcel, who is taken to win this prior to first outing over fences.