prominent, ridden to challenge when not much room and hampered on rail over 1f out, no chance after
chased winner, ridden half way, weakened quickly over 1f out
made all, hard ridden final furlong, just held on, all out
restrained and awkward leaving stalls, held up in rear, headway inside final 2f, strong challenge when edged left well inside final furlong, just failed
chased leaders, ridden to chase winner and every chance inside final furlong until squeezed out near finish, not recovered
held up in rear, headway on rail and switched sharply right over 1f out, kept on one pace after
raced on outer, pushed along half way, outpaced from over 1f out
Only If I Laugh comes from a stable in form and can get recent losses back at the expense of Black Oval and Pardon Moi. Only If I Laugh won a couple of sellers as a juvenile, and has never really been highly tried during his career so far. Having been absent since November, Brian Meehan's charge has probably needed his two runs back, that have both been on the all-weather, and he should now be that bit fitter for his return to Turf. He was fancied a little bit in handicap company at Southwell, but found the concession of weight to the rest too much to handle, eventually finishing fourth of the five runners, and is sure to be more at home in this sort of company. With a good draw and Frankie McDonald able to take five pounds off his back, Only If I Laugh has a first-rate chance. Blue Power, owned by Everton footballer Francis Jeffers, looks held at the weights on that Southwell running, and a bigger danger may be Black Oval who was rated as good as some of Mick Channon's Royal Ascot fillies when making a winning debut at Salisbury last summer. She seems to have deteriorated though, having shown little so far this year, and may not have trained on. It is therefore not surprising to see her dropped to this level, and she is passed over. Pardon Moi scraped a win at Yarmouth last year but makes no appeal, and Only If I Laugh would appear to have the edge on them all here.
