tracked leaders, smooth headway 8th, led approaching 3 out, kept on run-in
led until headed approaching 3 out, ridden and weakened after next
in touch, lost place after 8th, ridden and no impression from next
held up in touch, 2 lengths down and every chance when unseated rider 4 out
prominent, ridden approaching 4 out, weakened from next
Word Gets Around has an obvious chance on the evidence of his latest course and distance second behind the well handicapped Lanaken and gets the vote racing off the same mark today in a race where the main rivals look to be Ideal du Bois Beury and Lascar de Ferbet. The last mentioned is strictly held by the selection on running last time and is difficult to recommend on that evidence. Richard Guest's horses are seemingly beginning to find some form so Upswing may be better than he has shown previously this term, while Twist N Turn has given little sign of encouragement of late. Star Trooper needs to improve dramatically on what he has shown of late to figure and of more interest is Peter Monteith's Ideal du Bois Beury, who has been showing a consistent level of form of late but tends to find at least one too good and that may be the case again. Word Gets Around has solid claims though and he gets the vote.
Word Gets Around (IRE) 11-2 (11-3) Tracked leaders, joined winner 10th, outppaced from last, 2nd of 9, 3l behind Lanaken (11-0) at Musselburgh 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-105 (E) gf in Nov.
Lascar de Ferbet (FR) 5-1 (10-10) Always towards rear, 7th of 9, 31l behind Lanaken (11-0) at Musselburgh 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-105 (E) gf in Nov.
Upswing 4-1 (10-11) In touch, ridden 3 out, weakened approaching 2 out, 7th of 11, 19l behind Killing Me Softly (11-12) at Leicester 2m hcp hdl 0-100 (F) sft in Dec.
Star Trooper (IRE) 40-1 (9-12) Held up, headway 5th, led 6th, headed 3 out, soon weakened, 10th of 18, 28l behind North Landing (11-2) at Catterick 2m 3f amt hcp hdl 0-100 (F) gd in Dec.
Ideal du Bois Beury (FR) 7-1 (9-11) Held up, ridden and lost touch from 5 out, 3rd of 6, 16l behind Snowy (11-10) at Musselburgh 3m hcp chs 0-110 (E) gf in Dec.
Twist N Turn 11-2 (9-11) Tracked leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, weakened next, 6th of 8, 27l behind Longdale (11-9) at Sedgefield 2m hcp chs 0-105 (E) sft in Dec.