not fluent held up towards rear, ridden 9th, weakened 2 out
led, ridden 2 out, headed bend on long run to finish, kept on one pace
held up in rear, not fluent 4th, ridden and headway 2 out, kept on one pace
close up, jumped left 4th, headway 8th, ridden 2 out, kept on one pace
tracked leaders, went 2nd at 5th, ridden and every chance last, led bend on long run to finish, driven out (both fences in home straight omitted, 11 jumped)
held up towards rear, hampered 4th, ridden 3 out, weakened next
tracked leader until 5th, tracked leaders until blundered 8th and dropped to rear, never a factor after
CREEP DESBOIS led until the second-last on his fencing bow at Ascot and will know more today. The drop in distance and sharper track here will play to his strengths and he can get the better of recent course and distance winner Cody Wyoming, who rarely runs two races alike. Enjoy Responsibly won here last month but then turned in a shocker over 3m at Bangor and may find this going too testing but Royal Plaza would have been placed again at Ludlow had he not fallen and Popelys Gull remains unexposed over the larger obstacles.
Mercers Court (IRE) 25-1 (11-11) Prominent, mistake 10th, led next, headed before 12th, lost place next, ridden and weakened before 5 out, behind when pulled up before next, at Doncaster 3m 2f hcp (3) gd in Dec.
Princeton Royale (IRE) 10-1 (11-4) Led at strong pace, headed approaching 6th, chased winner until ridden after 4 out, chased leaders, weakened quickly before next, behind and pulled up before 2 out, at Taunton 2m 6f hcp (3) gd in Nov.
Popelys Gull (IRE) 25-1 (11-7) In touch, slow 3rd, weakened 6 out, tailed off, modest 4th, 4th of 5, dist behind Fountains Windfall (11-1) at Southwell 2m 4f (3) gd in Nov.
Enjoy Responsibly (IRE) 4-1cfav (11-12) In rear, headway to track leaders 9th, blundered 4 out, soon lost touch, 5th of 7, 31 1/2l behind Bells Of Ailsworth (11-9) at Bangor 3m hcp (3) sft in Dec.
Creep Desbois (FR) 8-1 (11-3) Chased leaders, jumped left 13th, 2nd next, led 16th, joined 3 out, ridden and headed approaching 2 out, chased leaders, weakening when blundered last, 5th of 10, 11 3/4l behind Toviere (11-0) at Ascot 3m hcp (3) gs in Nov.
Royal Plaza 9-1 (11-7) Held up in rear, not much room 11th, headway 16th, staying on to press for 5 lengths 2nd when fell 2 out, at Ludlow 3m 2f hcp (3) gd in Nov.
Cody Wyoming 9-2 (11-11) In touch towards rear, headway to lead 4 out, ridden and stayed on strongly flat, won at Fakenham 2m 5f hcp (4) sft in Dec beating Foundation Man (11-12) by 4 1/2l, 7 ran.
