ACKNOWLEDGEMENT finally got his act together last time at Bangor and is taken to follow up from Jenny Potts and Wee Ziggy. The last-named sees this trip out well and has some reasonable form at this sort of level, though will probably be scuppered by the ground. Jenny Potts handles cut well and showed her abilities over this trip when trained by Len Lungo, scoring in a novices' hurdle at Wetherby. She was last seen winning a 9f Hamilton handicap on the level last summer and there is no reason why she can't return after her break with a good performance in this moderate company. Kyoto has conditions and trip to suit but looks hard to win with these days, while Joshua has the ability to go well from this mark if able to reproduce chase form over hurdles, though the ground may be too soft for him. That leads us to the selection, Acknowledgement. Ian Williams has had his string in good form for some time now, and that includes this eight-year-old who put some poor efforts behind him to dot up at Bangor on soft ground, and a 22lb rise may still not be enough to stop him following-up.
Jenny Potts 10-1 (10-7) Held up, stumbled after 3rd, headway 3 out, chased leader approching next, led after last, ran on, won at Wetherby 2m mrs nov hdl (4) gs in Nov '08 beating Smarties Party (10-10) by 2 1/2l, 14 ran.
Oenologue (FR) 11-2 (10-7) Held up, headway 6th, tracked leader 3 out, ridden 2 out, weakened approaching last, 4th of 14, 23l behind Six Day War (11-4) at Hereford 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-125 (3) sft in Dec '08.
Reland (FR) 8-1 (11-3) Tracked leaders, weakened from 4 out, 11th of 16, well behind Stoop To Conquer (11-12) at Huntingdon 2m 5f hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gs in Dec.
Oxford de Lagarde (FR) 16-1 (11-6) Held up in rear, always behind, tailed off, 12th of 15, well behind Victory Surge (11-2) at Warwick 2m hcp hdl 0-105 (4) sft in Dec.
Istron Bay 25-1 (11-4) Held up mid-division, headway 2 out, led 5f out, headed 3f out, weakened over 1f out, 6th of 15, 16l behind Mollys Garden (11-5) at Stratford 2m 3f nov hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gd in Mar.
Flexi Time (IRE) 40-1 (10-11) Mid-division, ridden and outpaced 2 out, never on terms, 7th of 16, 37l behind Wishfull Thinking (11-0) at Hereford 2m 4f mdn hdl (4) sft in Dec.
Oscar Gogo (IRE) 16-1 (11-6) Mid-division, weakening and behind from 5th, 10th of 15, well behind Six Day War (11-6) at Hereford 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-110 (4) gs in Dec '08.
Kyoto (GER) 7-1 (11-11) Held up in last pair, pushed along, outpaced approaching 2 out, 6th of 8, 4l behind Campfire Tales (10-11) at Wincanton 2m nov hcp hdl 0-100 (4) gs in Nov.
Joshua 11-1 (11-7) Held up in rear, ridden after 6th, headway approaching 2 out, soon no impression, left modest 4th last, 4th of 12, 15l behind Tiger Moss (10-11) at Fontwell 2m 4f nov hcp hdl 0-95 (5) gf in Sep.
Coeur Brule (FR) 6-1 (10-1) Tracked leaders, went second 5th, chased winner after 3 out, ridden and held from 2 out, lost 2nd flat, 3rd of 6, 19l behind Double Dash (11-9) at Lingfield 2m hcp hdl 0-110 (4) hvy.
Bert's Memory 14-1 (11-3) Always behind, tailed off, 13th of 15, well behind Victory Surge (11-2) at Warwick 2m hcp hdl 0-105 (4) sft in Dec.
Mrs Slocombe (IRE) 40-1 (10-8) Mid-division, headway approaching 5th, weakened 3 out, 6th of 13, 20l behind Veiled (10-8) at Leicester 2m juv fll nov hdl (3yo) (3) gf in Dec.
Fair Shake (IRE) 18-1 (10-13) Mid-division and outside, lost place 7th, soon behind, 12th of 13, well behind Star Galaxy (9-9) at Hereford 2m nov hcp chs 0-95 (5) gs in Nov.
Ruby Valentine (FR) 20-1 (10-2) Chased leaders, ridden before 3 out, weakened before next, 9th of 13, 22l behind Ballabrook (10-9) at Ludlow 2m 5f am nov hcp hdl 0-105 (4) sft in Dec.
Midnight Spirit 100-1 (11-4) Always prominent, led after 3rd, headed 2 out, stayed on flat, 3rd of 11, 1 1/2l behind Dinarius (11-9) at Towcester 2m nh nov hdl (3) hvy.
Wee Ziggy 33-1 (9-9) Held up in rear, headway approaching 2 out, kept on flat, not reach leaders, 4th of 13, 6l behind Simple Jim (11-12) at Southwell 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-100 (4) gf in Nov.
Acknowledgement 7-2 (10-0) Held up mid-division, led approaching 2 out, clear approaching last, easily, won at Bangor 2m 1f hcp hdl (4) sft in Dec beating Heredias (10-10) by 17l, 13 ran.
