tracked leader, led 8th, headed 10th, led 4 out, driven and headed flat, no extra
held up in touch in last pair, not fluent 6th, hit 4 out, weakened next
tracked leaders on inside, challenged 8th, led 10th, headed after next, jumped right and beaten 4 out, weakening when jumped right 2 out
held up in touch in last pair, pushed along 9th, reminders after next, weakened after 11th
led, jumped left 2nd and 6th, headed 8th, led after 11th, not fluent and headed 4 out, switched right before last, switched left and rallied to lead flat, stayed on
Ballinvarrig won over course and distance last month and followed up off a 10lb higher mark at Wincanton. He seems to have rediscovered his best form but is now penalised and has never won off a mark this high. GLOBAL DREAM loves it here and won twice and was second on heavy going at the track around this time last year. He stayed on gamely to score under a big weight over further here last time and is taken to go in again only 3lb higher. Veteran Simply Wings only found one too good in a hunter chase at Hereford on his reappearance but that form hasn’t worked out. Crookstown is also difficult to fancy but Keel Haul is well treated nowadays, though has never won beyond 2m under Rules.
Ballinvarrig (IRE) 5-4jfav (11-5) Tracked leaders, 2nd from 4th, mistake 6th, led before 3 out, soon clear, ridden out, won at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (3) sft in Mar beating Uhlan Bute (11-6) by 5l, 4 ran.
Crookstown (IRE) 25-1 (11-0) Mid-division when field came into view 6th, lost touch when field came into view again briefly 4 out, pulled up, at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (2) sft in Jan.
Simply Wings (IRE) 5-4fav (12-4) With leaders, led before 11th, clear before 3 out, headed before last, kept on, 2nd of 11, 3 1/4l behind Toby Lerone (12-4) at Hereford 2m 5f (5) hvy in Feb.
Keel Haul (IRE) 25-1 (11-3) Tracked leaders, outpaced after 5 out, no impression from next, 5th of 13, 26 1/2l behind Pougne Bobbi (11-5) at Ludlow 2m 4f hcp (3) sft in Feb.
Global Dream 5-1 (12-0) Prominent, led 7th, headed after next, led 10th until 11th, reminders 12th, led last, hard pressed, held on, won at Leicester 2m 7f hcp (4) gd in Jan beating Running Wolf (10-10) by shd, 8 ran.
