in touch, reminder after 7th, ridden and struggling 9th, pulled up before next
made all, clear 3 out, eased flat
held up, mistake 1st, some headway when mistake 9th, well beaten from 4 out, jumped right 3 out, went remote 4th before 2 out
tracked winner until 8th, not fluent next, went 2nd again after 4 out, no chance with winner 3 out, dropped to 3rd flat
prominent until blundered 4th, tracked leaders, went 2nd 8th until after 4 out, weakened before next
in touch, outpaced 8th, stayed on approaching 3 out, no chance with winner, went 2nd flat
Saints And Sinners hasn't shown much in two starts over fences but both hurdles victories have come on this track. Mystifiable makes his chasing bow after just four starts over hurdles and he's been making steady progress so could be on a fair mark. Dartford Warbler scored twice last summer over timber on good ground but hasn't run badly in much more testing conditions on his last two starts over fences. Majorica King made a winning debut over fences in a Towcester maiden and bounced back to form over this trip at Leicester when runner-up to Good Order and a 5lb rise is covered by his rider's claim. Benevolent, a winning hurdler for Noel Meade in Ireland, made a promising debut over fences behind Sizing Rio at Tipperary last May but ran very poorly for new connections on this track in November. BENEFIT CUT made a winning bumper debut here and scored over hurdles at Kempton. He attempted to make all on his chasing debut at Ascot and may have prevailed but for a bad mistake two out so can go one better.
Benevolent (IRE) 12-1 (11-2) Close up in last place, went 3rd 9th, ridden next, outpaced soon after 4 out, lost 3rd 2 out, last of 4, well behind Corrin Wood (11-2) at Market Rasen 2m 6f beg chs (4) sft in Nov.
Benefit Cut (IRE) 10-1 (11-7) Led, ridden and headed when stumbled badly 2 out, soon dropped to 3rd, rallied under pressure to 2nd again run in, kept on same pace, 2nd of 7, 1 1/4l behind Ballinvarrig (11-9) at Ascot 2m 3f hcp chs 0-125 (3) hvy in Jan.
Majorica King (FR) 8-1 (10-12) Held up, headway approaching 6th, led and bumped 4 out, blundered 2 out, driven and headed flat, stayed on, 2nd of 8, 1l behind Good Order (11-11) at Leicester 2m 4f hcp chs 0-125 (3) gs in Dec.
Dartford Warbler (IRE) 8-1 (11-6) Tracked leaders in 3rd, went 2nd from 5 out until no extra run-in, 3rd of 6, 6l behind Alderbrook Lad (10-6) at Catterick 2m hcp chs 0-125 (3) hvy in Jan.
Mystifiable 4-1 (11-5) Held up, took keen hold, not always fluent, headway before 6th, every chance 2 out, stayed on same pace flat, no impression on winner, 2nd of 11, 5l behind Ut Majeur Aulmes (11-4) at Uttoxeter 2m hcp hdl 0-120 (4) gs in Dec.
Saints And Sinners (IRE) 11-2 (11-9) Held up, outpaced 10th, well held after, weakened from 4 out, last of 6, 12l behind Time To Think (11-5) at Warwick 2m 4f hcp chs 0-120 (4) sft in Jan.
