chased leaders until mistake and lost place 6th, never travelling or jumping with any fluency after, tailed off 17th
chased leader, led 5th, ridden and headed before 17th, weakened before 4 out, no chance when blundered next
led, mistake and headed 5th, chased leader, led before 17th, jumped right 4 out, strongly pressed and blundered 2 out, hard driven and joined flat, kept on gamely to assert final 150 yards
chased leaders, hit 5th, pushed along and hit 16th, chased winner before 2 out, strong challenge and every chance last, upsides flat, no extra and held final 150 yards
not fluent, held up in touch, blundered 14th, 15th and next, chasing winner when pushed right 4 out, not fluent 3 out, soon lost 2nd and weakened
always in rear, mistake 6th, tailed off when blundered 16th
in touch,hit 12th, 5th and staying on when blundered 4 out, kept on into 3rd 2 out, no chance with front pair when mistake last
chased leaders early, lost place after 3rd, behind and never travelling after, tailed off when blundered 17th, pulled up before next
Nick Mitchell's Ellerslie George has not had as much racing as most of these veterans and could still be open to improvement and he has been running well of late with wins at Stratford and Wincanton but he has been punished by the handicapper for those successes and will need to improve to get the better of TRABOLGAN, who gets the vote with Eric's Charm rated the best of the rest. The selection was still going well when unseating his rider four out in a similar contest at Doncaster last month and Nicky Henderson's gelding looks worth another chance over a trip that suits. Jeremy Scott's Gone To Lunch was well held behind Monkerhostin at Sandown last time having been pulled up in the Welsh National previously and he looks best watched. Henry Daly's Briery Fox has been struggling in recent starts and of more interest may be Knowhere, who has not been at his best of late but represents Nigel Twiston-Davies, who always has to be respected with his runners over this sort of trip. Oliver Sherwood's Eric's Charm won well at Sandown last time in December and may be good enough to defy an 8lb rise for that success but Trabolgan has a touch of class about him and can makes amends for his run at Doncaster.
Gone To Lunch (IRE) 14-1 (11-9) Mid-division until lost place and in rear 10th, tailed off, 9th of 13, 34l behind Monkerhostin (11-5) at Sandown 3m hcp chs (2) gs in Feb.
Ellerslie George (IRE) 11-1 (10-12) Mid-division, headway and in touch 4th, challenged 11th, lost place 4 out, soon weakened, 8th of 13, 41l behind The Sawyer (9-8) at Ascot 2m 5f hcp chs (2) sft in Jan.
Eric's Charm (FR) 8-1 (11-1) Led until 5th, led again 8th, headed 14th, led again 18th, clear 2 out, stayed on strongly, won at Sandown 3m 5f hcp chs 0-150 (2) sft in Dec beating Lorum Leader (10-8) by 19l, 8 ran.
Knowhere (IRE) 20-1 (11-6) Held up in rear, blundered 14th and next, weakened 4 out, tailed off, 6th of 7, well behind Taranis (11-0) at Cheltenham 3m 1f chs Grd 2 (1) sft in Jan.
Trabolgan (IRE) 15-8fav (11-4) Mid-division, tracked leaders 7th, 2 lengths down in 3rd and every chance when blundered badly and unseated rider 4 out, in a race won by Chief Dan George (11-3) at Doncaster 3m hcp chs 0-145 (2) gs in Feb, 9 ran.
Briery Fox (IRE) 28-1 (11-0) Held up, headway approaching 18th, kept on same pace from last, 4th of 16, 13l behind Gidam Gidam (11-0) at Doncaster 4m hcp chs 0-140 (2) gs in Feb.
Dom d'Orgeval (FR) 20-1 (11-12) In touch, weakened 6th, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by My Friend Sandy (11-3) at Chepstow 3m hcp hdl 0-130 (3) hvy in Nov, 9 ran.
Bob Bob Bobbin 28-1 (11-3) Behind, mistake 4th, tailed off when blundered 12th pulled up before 13th, in a race won by Richard's Sundance (11-9) at Wincanton 3m 1f hcp chs 0-135 (3) hvy in Jan, 15 ran.
