led, hit 10th and 11th, headed 4 out, ridden approaching 2 out, blundered last, weakened flat
held up in touch, hit 11th, ridden after 4 out, weakening when blundered 2 out
tracked leader, pushed along and lost place 12th, kept on from 2 out, no chance with winner
held up, hit 10th, headway approaching 12th, led 4 out, clear approaching last, easily
A small but select field for this 2m6f novices' chase that is probably best watched with an eye to the future. Martin Pipe's It Takes Time, who was the best of these over hurdles, receives weight from the other three runners and has to be respected. At first glance, a half length second to Sir Rembrandt is hardly inspiring for the nine-year-old but the winner is a progressive performer over fences and Pipe's horse has plenty of scope for improvement. Oliver Sherwood's Claymore sprung a surprise when beating Nicky Henderson's First Love at Uttoxeter in November but the runner-up has let the form down since. A subsequent win at Chepstow last month confirmed the seven-year-old's well-being but this is a tough assignment. Man Murphy has won four out of four since being switched to the larger obstacles this term but he has been doing his winning in lesser company and he may struggle to get the better of a couple of these, most notably The Bajan Bandit. The son of Commanche Run has only met defeat once in 11 career outings (when out of sorts at the Cheltenham Festival in March) and has taken well to fences. A line through Pendle Hill suggests there should not be much between Len Lungo's gelding and Mary Reveley's runner but, since beating Pendle Hill, the "bandit" has improved. A comfortable victory over the promising Byron Lamb at Ayr last month suggested he was going the right way over fences and he just gets the nod in what should be an intriguing and informative contest.
