raced keenly tracking leaders on inside, squeezed through on rail home turn, led 3 out, hung left between last two, pecked on landing last, hung left and carried winner badly left run-in, headed and no extra towards finish
led until narrowly headed approaching 3rd, pressed leader, led again and awkward 4 out, headed next, chased leader, strong challenge and carried badly left run-in, led towards finish
chased winner until after 2nd, chased leaders out wide, disputing 2nd home turn, 3rd and no impression when shaken up before 2 out
raced keenly, held up in 4th, headway out wide tracking winner after 2nd, led approaching next until 4 out, struggling for pace when not much room bend home turn, outpaced and beaten before 3 out, tailed off
always last, outpaced and struggling 4 out, never a factor, tailed off
NonRunner
Good Impression completed a double over hurdles on faster going last autumn though is 8lb higher than his latest success while Port Or Starboard only dead-heated at Exeter having early finished behind third-placed BANNOW BAY BOY on soft going at Hereford. That was the latter’s handicap debut and, with today’s conditional taking 10lb off his back, he gets the vote. Sabbathical can race off a lower mark back over hurdles while John Betjeman won this last year so can’t be written off.
Bannow Bay Boy (IRE) 9-1 (11-9) Chased leaders, ridden 2 out, stayed on same pace approaching last, 3rd of 10, 6l behind Half Dozen (11-8) at Hereford 2m hcp (4) sft in Jan.
John Betjeman 10-3 (12-0) Prominent until 1st, chased leaders, switched left before 3 out, no impression on front pair when not fluent last, 3rd of 8, 13 1/4l behind Patient Dream (11-3) at Ludlow 2m hcp (4) gd in Feb.
Port Or Starboard (IRE) 6-1 (12-0) Front mid-division, headway into 4th home turn, led narrowly approaching 3 out where not fluent, ridden after 2 out, strongly challenged approaching last, kept on well, joined on line, won at Exeter 2m 1f hcp (5) gd in Mar beating Looking For Larry (12-0), 15 ran.
Sabbathical (FR) 5-2 (12-2) Chased leader, ridden and outpaced home turn, lost 2nd approaching last, never landed a blow, 3rd of 5, 7 1/4l behind Elmount (11-6) at Catterick 2m hcp (5) gd in Feb.
Good Impression 2-1fav (10-4) Raced in 3rd, went 2nd after 4 out until before 2 out, ridden and no extra in 3rd run-in, 3rd of 6, 5 1/4l behind Totterdown (12-0) at Leicester 2m hcp (4) gs in Nov.
Zuraig 9-1 (11-10) Prominent, went on before 5th, ridden and headed home turn, weakened 3 out, 7th of 10, 15 1/2l behind Coastal Sun (10-3) at Ludlow 2m (4) gs in Nov.
