in touch to 7th
held up towards rear, steady headway 9th, ridden and weakened 3 out
led, headed 7th, soon ridden, weakened quickly, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out
held up in rear, ridden 8th, tailed off from 4 out
in touch, steady headway 6th, led approaching 8th, went clear 2 out, easily
headway approaching 9th to go prominent, ridden approaching 2 out, beaten when mistake last
held up, ridden and weakened from 3 out
tracked leaders, led 7th, headed approaching next, ridden 4 out, weakened last (wore cheek pieces)
in touch until ridden 4 out, held when pulled up approaching last dismounted
some headway approaching 9th, 5th 2 out and well behind, ran on approaching last, kept on strongly flat, no chance with winner
The three to catch the eye here are Keaneo, King Plato and Roymillon. They all come into the race in fairly-decent recent form, with the race conditions - based on official ratings - suiting the first two a little better. Keaneo, the only course winner in the race (in a chase), has been chasing lately. His best recent hurdling effort came when second to extremely easy winner Image de Marque at Newbury a year ago. He has every right to run well. King Plato makes a quick reappearance after running at Wetherby on Saturday. He showed up well for a long way there on what was his first run since August. He has been raised 13 pounds since the second of back-to-back wins in August and, while he will not have things all his own way, ought to go close here. Roymillon, a nine-time winner on the Flat, won well at Huntingdon at the end of September and has to have a chance at this level. Flying Bold won a Newton Abbot seller when stepped up in distance last time, but another step up in form would be required. She's A Corker stepped up on previous form to win a Stratford maiden hurdle last time, but it was a modest contest. Percy Braithwaite has bits of form but has to defy a 303-day absence. Overall then, the TEAMtalk selection is King Plato.
