held up, some headway halfway, ridden and weakened from 8th, tailed off from next, pulled up before 2 out
held up in touch, headway to lead after 4 out, ridden next, under pressure after last, headed post
tracked leaders, ridden approaching 3 out, kept on same pace from next
held up, effort approaching 3 out, no impression from next
tracked leaders, pushed along approaching 7th, went 2nd after 4 out, soon ridden, all out to lead post
held up in rear, headway approaching 3 out, ridden approaching 2 out, soon weakened
in touch, pushed along 7th, weakened next, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
with leader, ridden approaching 4 out, soon weakened, behind when pulled up before 2 out
always behind, tailed off from 3 out
Great As Gold, Plutocrat, Robbo and Lantern Leader look the main protagonists in this handicap hurdle and we will give the vote to Great As Gold The selection is a course and distance winner and is in a rich vein of form at present. He is steadily rising in the weights but the style of his latest win when he defeated Montemoss at Wetherby suggests that there is still more to come from him and he will be hard to beat. Plutocrat represents the main danger as this gelding from the Lenny Lungo yard clearly needed the run when well beaten behind Romil Star at Sedgefield last month. He is capable of much better than that and he could go close now following that pipe opener. Robbo is certainly capable of winning this, but this Mary Reveley gelding is impossible to predict and he could just as easily be tailed-off at the halfway stage as running out the winner, so he is opposed for that reason. Lantern Leader won well last time out but is only small and he doesn't look one who has a great deal of scope for improvement. Wildfield Rufo would have chances on his best form but he was disappointing last time out, so in a race full of imponderables, we will stick with the reliable and in-form Great As Gold.
