held up, ridden and weakened over 2f out
held up, ridden halfway, not trouble leaders
disputed lead 1f, tracked leaders after, ridden and chased leading pair over 1f out, kept on inside final furlong
tracked leaders, ridden and led 1f out, ridden out
disputed lead until led 8f out, ridden and headed over 2f out, weakened
slowly into stride, towards rear, never dangerous
mid-division, ridden over 3f out, kept on from over 1f out, never dangerous
disputed lead til 8f out, tracked leader after, led over 2f out, ridden and headed 1f out, kept on same pace
Witticism can improve enough to score at the expense of McQueen and Valance in division one of the maiden. Henry Cecil's Barathea filly still looked green when third to Time Crystal at Doncaster but shaped well enough to suggest that she can strike for the Warren Place camp. She gets weight off McQueen, a beaten favourite in selling company at Pontefract, but with experience here at Lingfield. Valance faces no harder task than when contesting events at the likes of York and Sandown but has had more chances than Witticism who has a lot more scope. Of the rest, Amanda Perrett's newcomer Straw Boss makes most appeal, although the fact that he has already been gelded suggests that he is not expected to scale the heights. Witticism gets the vote in the opener.