held up in 5th, headway over 3f out, went 2nd over 1f out, led final 150 yards, soon clear, ran on well
shade keen, led, ridden and headed inside final 2f, lost 2nd over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, lost 3rd towards finish
tracked leader, pushed along and lost 2nd 4f out, weakened 3f out
chased leaders on inside, effort 2f out, ridden and weakened over 1f out
shade keen, tracked leaders, smooth headway between horses into 2nd 4f out, led going well inside final 2f, found nil and headed final 150 yards, well held
held up in last pair, ridden over 2f out, plugged on in modest 3rd towards finish
Josses Hill, a smart chaser on his day, has won a bumper but that was back in 2013. CHESTERFIELD, a dual winner on the Flat for Godolphin, won the Grade 2 Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last year, beating Zubayr and Vosne Romanee who were both receiving weight. He’s not really fired so far this season but Daniel Sansom’s claim is a plus in a race like this and he might be the value against the Nicholls representative, who has Bryony Frost in the saddle and is sure to give a good account having gone close on Polytrack at Lingfield in December over a shorter trip. Junction Fourteen is a stayer who is likely to find things happening too quickly on this surface.
Chesterfield (IRE) 33-1 (11-7) Held up disputing 3rd, outpaced before 2out, last of 4, 10l behind Buveur D'Air (11-7) at Kempton 2m (1) sft in Dec.
Gannicus 14-1 (10-11) Held up in touch, outpaced 3 out, weakened before next, tailed off, 5th of 7, 27 1/4l behind Shrubland (10-9) at Market Rasen 2m 5f hcp (4) gd in Oct.
Josses Hill (IRE) 12-1 (11-10) Prominent, led 6th to 9th, lost place next, soon behind, pulled up before 12th, at Kempton 3m hcp (1) gd in Feb.
Junction Fourteen (IRE) 10-1 (11-7) Mid-division, headway chasing leaders 5th, lost place 12th, rallied from 4 out, went modest 4th 2 out, 4th of 12, 13 3/4l behind Gold Present (11-10) at Newbury 2m 6f hcp (2) gs in Dec.
Vosne Romanee 16-1 (10-11) Mid-division, headway 6th, ridden after 3 out, 4th and beaten 2 out, mistake last, 4th of 7, 18 1/4l behind Azzerti (10-4) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp (2) sft in Feb.
Zubayr (IRE) 13-2 (9-11) Held up, headway over 2f out, chased leaders over 1f out, led inside final furlong, soon hung left, headed closing stages, kept on well, 2nd of 12, 1/2l behind Lexington Law (9-4) at Lingfield 1m 4f hcp (4) pol in Dec.
Figeac (FR) 100-1 (10-7) In rear, not fluent 5th or when well beaten 3 out, 9th of 14, dist behind Clondaw Castle (11-8) at Huntingdon 2m mdn (4) gs in Nov.
