led 4th, clear from 10th, 3 lengths ahead when left clear last, ridden out
held up, mistake and dropped rear 9th, tailed off 11th, pulled up before 3 out
in touch, lost place and struggling from 11th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
tracked leaders, chased winner 12th, disputing 2nd and held when blundered and fell heavily last
held up in rear, bumped 11th, no impression leaders 3 out, left poor 3rd last
close up, challenged 3 out, no impression when left 2nd last, kept on under pressure flat
made most to 4th, chased leader after, not fluent 7th, lost 2nd 12th, blundered and weakened 13th, tailed off
held up in rear, well behind and no chance when blundered and unseated rider 4 out
Folkestone and Wetherby winner Manawanui was in the process of running another good race when falling at Exeter last month and has to be respected but Robert Alner's horses have not been firing on all cylinders recently so preference is for Koquelicot, who gets the verdict over Royal China. The last mentioned lost no caste in defeat behind Jonjo O'Neill's Monbonami at Fakenham recently and is open to further improvement. Party Games had some useful form over hurdles and could be interesting first time out over fences, while the ex-Irish Eternal Night is another worthy of a mention but the vote goes to Koquelicot. Philip Hobbs has his team in good form at present and the son of Video Rock is no exception having won his last two starts in good fashion, scoring in a decisive manner at Uttoxeter and Wincanton in his last two starts. A 10lb rise for the latest of those wins seems perfectly fair and Koquelicot is taken to complete the hat trick.
