raced keenly and jumped left at times, made all, went clear briefly after 1st, soon steadied, came clear again before 3 out, stayed on strongly, unchallenged
raced keenly, held up in 5th on inside, headway disputing 3rd after 4 out, outright 3rd 3 out until weakened before next
raced keenly in rear, headway on inside tracking leaders 3 out, went modest 3rd before next, closed on 2nd run-in, no chance with winner
chased leading trio, disputing 3rd after 4 out, pushed along and weakened after 3 out
off the pace in last pair, outpaced and struggling in rear before 3 out, plugged on into modest 4th 2 out
chased winner who went clear briefly after 1st, pushed along and no impression before 3 out, just held on for modest 2nd
raced wide chasing leaders, pushed along before 3 out, soon outpaced and weakened
Forget The Way was only beaten a length-and-a-half when Dom Perry got off the mark in a Southwell maiden and there shouldn’t be much between the pair on today’s terms. Fame And Fun is proving hard to place and has run his best races so far at Taunton but he has place claims again here if staying the extra. Matata is also upped in distance having suffered a blip last time at Wincanton but he did win over 3m between the flags. PONCHO’s win at Plumpton has been franked by the runner-up and Gary Moore’s five-year-old probably has the most scope of these so gets the nod.
Matata (IRE) 13-8fav (11-8) Took keen hold, led, hung left from 3rd, hung badly left and ran out before 5th, at Wincanton 1m 7f (3) gs in Feb.
Poncho (FR) 5-6fav (11-5) Tracked leading pair on inside, went 2nd going well home turn, soon switched wide, challenged 2 out, led before the last, driven out, won at Plumpton 2m (4) gs in Jan beating Tapley (11-5) by 1/2l, 8 ran.
Dom Perry 10-3 (11-7) Held up off the pace in 7th, headway into 3rd turning in, went 2nd on inside 2 out, soon switched right, led before the last, driven and stayed on well, won at Southwell 2m mdn (4) gd in Feb beating Jumping Jupiter (11-7) by 3/4l, 10 ran.
Imac Wood (FR) 80-1 (11-11) Held up in mid-division, headway to go 2nd 4 out, led after 3 out, headed before 2 out, mistake last, no extra flat, 4th of 8, 7 3/4l behind Hidalgo De L'isle (11-7) at Bangor-on-Dee 2m 1f hcp (4) gs in Feb.
Forget The Way 4-1 (11-7) Held up off the pace in 7th, hit 4th, headway tracking leaders after 3 out, went 3rd before the last,driven and kept on well run-in, not reach leaders, 3rd of 10, 1 1/2l behind Dom Perry (11-7) at Southwell 2m mdn (4) gd in Feb.
Fame And Fun (IRE) 7-2 (11-13) Chased leaders, mistake 2nd, not fluent 5th or 6th, went 2nd before 2 out, soon challenging, mistake last, edged left flat, just held, 2nd of 14, nk behind Almost Gotaway (12-2) at Taunton 2m 3f hcp (5) gd in Feb.
Captain Jack 15-2 (11-8) Tracked leaders, ridden 2 out, kept on to go 2nd flat, no threat to winner, 2nd of 8, 5l behind Patient Dream (11-6) at Market Rasen 2m 1f hcp (5) gs in Feb.
