held up towards rear, headway over 2f out, weakened inside final furlong
held up towards rear and keen, ridden over 1f out, kept on inside final furlong
tracked leaders in 3rd, ridden over 1f out, no extra inside final furlong
close up, ridden inside final furlong, soon weakened
held up in touch, ridden over 1f out, kept on to chase winner inside final furlong, always held
made all, ridden inside final furlong, kept on well
always behind
prominent, ridden over 1f out, soon weakened
Hallelujah won last year's renewal but this is more competitive. Chookie Royale boasts the highest rating on the all-weather and could figure back on this surface while Dutch Masterpiece won a Listed event over 5f at Ascot last week but has plenty to prove over today's extra distance. Preference is for LANCELOT DU LAC (NAP), who has faced some tough tasks of late, being placed in the Wokingham before running in the July Cup and the Stewards' Cup - Dean Ivory's sprinter will find life easier in this. Charles Molson has a difficult task at the weights and the remainder are even harder to fancy.
Dutch Masterpiece 10-1 (9-0) Held up towards rear, steady headway against far rail into mid-division halfway, headway chasing leaders over 1f out, ran on inside final furlong to lead final strides, won at Ascot 5f lst stks (1) gd in Oct beating Speed Hawk (9-0) by nk, 13 ran.
Charles Molson 10-1 (9-3) Held up towards rear, headway far side and switched right approaching final 2f, ridden chasing leaders over 1f out, stayed on into 2nd towards, not reach winner, 2nd of 17, 1/2l behind Right Touch (8-10) at Ascot 6f hcp (2) gs in Sep.
Chookie Royale 20-1 (9-6) Mid-division, ridden and headway over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong, 13th of 25, 7 1/4l behind Tatlisu (9-8) at Ayr 6f hcp (2) gd in Sep.
Hallelujah 5-1fav (8-9) Tracked leaders, pushed along over 2f out, ridden and ran on final furlong, 3rd of 10, 1 1/2l behind Rivellino (9-0) at Lingfield 6f lst stks (1) pol in Feb.
Horsted Keynes (FR) 12-1 (9-5) Mid-division, headway over 1f out, ridden and kept on inside final furlong, 4th of 11, 3 1/2l behind Hoof It (8-13) at Doncaster 6f hcp (2) gd in Sep.
Lancelot Du Lac (ITY) 20-1 (9-9) Raced far side, chased leaders, every chance 2f out, soon ridden, no extra inside final furlong, 11th of 27, 4 3/4l behind Magical Memory (8-12) at Goodwood 6f hcp (2) gf in Aug.
Steelriver (IRE) 17-2 (9-5) Behind, headway over 1f out, soon ridden, effort and every chance inside final furlong, held towards finish, 3rd of 13, 1l behind Kasbah (8-12) at Wolverhampton 6f hcp (3) pol in Oct.
Lyfka 33-1 (9-0) Always towards rear, last of 12, 19 1/4l behind Spangled (8-12) at Newmarket 7f hcp fll (2) gf in Jul.