led to 3rd, stayed prominent to 10th, weakened next
tracked leaders, ridden10th, rallied approaching 2 out, weakened last
headway 8th, hung badly left from 3 out, blundered 2 out, staying on when not much room, not recover
in touch, effort 6th, weakened and mistake 9th
held up, blundered 7th, headway 11th, ridden and outpaced approaching 2 out, rallied last, stayed on well to lead flat
* led approaching 3rd, ridden 3 out, jumped left last, headed and no extra flat
tracked leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, staying on when not much room flat
held up, headway 4 out, ridden next, soon weakened
Not too many in red hot form here, but one who is thrown in to handicap company for his chasing debut is Rudolf Rassendyll. Being by Supreme Leader he will appreciate the cut in the ground as shown by his Huntingdon success last time out and the form of his fifth place at Hereford before that is also working out well, with the fourth that day, Fork Lightning winning on Monday at Kempton. Venetia Williams would not be running him if he wasn't well schooled over the bigger obstacles and in an event where there are doubts about all of his rivals he is taken to score. River Slave is another soft ground lover who perhaps hasn't gone on as well as would have been hoped after a good win in his debut bumper a couple of years ago. Well beaten on all but one start since, he came back to some sot of form here last time, when a two and a half length second over three furlongs further. This trip may just be on the short side for him, but in this field his consistency should give him a chance of being placed. Raleagh Native has achieved more than the rest of these, but is a bit of a plodder these days and despite his penchant for cut he still looks to be too high in the weights to win this, though again a place is certainly not out of the question. Grand Gousier could be the one to give the selection most to do. Another mudlark, the nine-year-old is also a bit high in the handicap for comfort at the moment, but he is still running well enough without winning and can again put up a decent display here.
