held up in rear, smooth headway approaching 2 out, led after last, pushed out
tracked leader, led 3 out, headed after last, one pace run in
held up in rear, headway and effort approaching 2 out, weakened last
chased leaders, lost place 3rd, weakened next
in touch, headway 3 out, effort 2 out, soon no extra
A good line-up for this handicap hurdle and it can go to Cosmic Case ahead of Gianluca, Liberty Seeker and Rising Generation. The selection is a course and distance winner and, having won on the Flat during the summer, has warmed up for this race with a couple of decent placed efforts over hurdles. She is also one pound below a mark form which we know she can win so she holds obvious claims. The likely market leader will be Charlie Egerton's Gianluca. Talented but fragile, he returned from a two year absence to score last time and looks set to go well again. Rising Generation finished seven-and-a-half lengths ahead of the selection when they met at Perth last month and, even though he is 10 pounds worse off at the weights, should go well. The same can be said of Liberty Seeker, who looked progressive over hurdles before turning his attentions to chasing but, at five years of age, we have surely not seen the best of him. Irish raider Lease could also go well back on his favoured quicker going but, overall, we will just side with Cosmic Case.
