in touch, jumped slow 3rd, ridden 10th, weakened 2 out
in touch, jumped slow 2nd, led 5th, headed next, led again 9th, ridden and mistake 2 out, headed last, weakened flat
led, headed 5th, behind 10th, pulled up before 2 out
close up, led 4th until next, led again 6th, headed 9th, weakened 2 out
The winner of a couple of poor events, Phar From Frosty had his limitations exposed at Southwell last time and may be worth taking in with an unexposed type in Hot Weld, who showed promise on his racecourse debut in a bumper at Carlisle in the Spring. Ferdy Murphy's four-year-old is out of a mare that won 15 races both on the flat and over hurdles, including the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle back in 1993 where she had the likes of top-class stayer Sweet Duke and subsequent Champion hurdle winner Flakey Dove behind. This trip should be well within hot Weld's compass and he is taken to make a winning debut over timber. Phar From Frosty has been well placed to win a couple of moderate events on fast ground, but he is nothing special and is vulnerable under his penalty. Extremis, the winner of a couple of 12-furlong events on the flat will be much happier over this trip rather than the sharp two-miles he faced on his hurdling debut at Bangor and has place claims, while King's Echo has shown enough in bumpers to be of interest here, but Hot Weld looks a promising recruit to the hurdling ranks and is taken to get off the mark at the first time of asking.
