held up, effort 3 out, hung right and went 3rd 2 out, unable to challenge, stayed on same pace
led, clear until 2nd, headed 3 out, led last, stayed on gamely
chased leaders, outpaced before 3 out, soon weakened
held up, closed 3rd, challenged 3 out, led before next, headed last, beaten flat
jumped left at times, tracked leader, led 3 out, headed before next, soon weakened
Weebill was beaten a long way at Cheltenham but that was over an extra half-mile in a much better race than this. Thahab Ifraj was a 66/1 winner at Wincanton and there is no guarantee he’ll reproduce that run here, despite being only 3lb higher. COTSWOLD WAY (NAP) looks worth sticking with in his current mood as an opening mark of 127 in handicaps looks more than fair and he’s preferred to the luckless Hillcrest Fire and Voodoo Doll, who has been on the go for a while though will have found the going too soft at Newbury.
Weebill 9-1 (10-11) Raced keenly, tracked leaders on inside, lost place before 4 out, weakened before 2 out, tailed off, 6th of 10, 36 1/2l behind First Assignment (10-9) at Cheltenham 3m hcp lst (1) gd in Nov.
Cotswold Way (IRE) 4-11fav (11-4) Led to 3rd, tracked leader, poised to challenge after 4 out, led 2 out, driven out, kept on, won at Exeter 2m 6f (3) gd in Nov beating Winter Spice (10-12) by 2 1/2l, 5 ran.
Voodoo Doll (IRE) 12-1 (10-4) Always behind, 8th of 9, 24 1/4l behind Global Citizen (11-10) at Newbury 2m hcp lst (1) sft in Dec.
Hillcrest Fire (IRE) 5-2fav (11-3) Keen, held up in rear, not fluent 1st, headway tracking leaders 3 out, pushed along and outpaced soon after, rallied on outside approaching next, went 2nd between last 2, every chance early run-in, no extra close home, 2nd of 7, 1/2l behind Queen Of The Wind (10-11) at Market Rasen 2m 5f hcp (4) gd in Nov.
Thahab Ifraj (IRE) 66-1 (10-3) Led, headed before 3rd, hampered bend after 4th, not much room briefly before leading 2 out, edged left approaching last, ridden out, won at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (3) gf in Nov beating Whatthebutlersaw (11-9) by 1l, 7 ran.
