last pair on inside, pecked badly 1st, closed 8th, hit 11th, reminder after 15th, beaten 3 out, weakened next
jumped right, pressed leader, led 4th, headed 4 out, weakening when mistake 2 out, pulled up before last
led until 4th, challenged 9th, carried right next, led last, ridden out
last pair, headway on outside 10th, led 4 out, jumped right 3 out, jumped right and mistake 2 out, headed last, held flat
VALLERES could only manage third when sent off favourite at Newbury on his chasing bow but he wasn’t beaten far and Alan King’s charge can build on that promising effort in this. Cooper's Cross battled on well to win by a neck at Sedgefield but faces tougher opposition today including Tupelo Mississippi, who is fitted with headgear after being beaten in a match at Carlisle. Winds Of Fire got no further than the first at Hereford on his chasing debut.
Valleres (FR) 9-4fav (11-10) Held up, headway 4 out, ridden 3 out, kept on, 3rd of 11, 3 3/4l behind Dublin Four (11-1) at Newbury 2m 4f hcp (3) gd in Nov.
Tupelo Mississippi (IRE) 1-5fav (11-2) Tracked leader, led before 8th, shaken up after 4 out, joined 2 out, soon ridden and headed last, kept on but no chance with easy winner, last of 2, 7 1/2l behind Hardy Du Seuil (10-6) at Carlisle 2m 4f (3) gd in Oct.
Winds Of Fire (USA) 15-2 (11-8) Fell 1st, at Hereford 2m 5f hcp (4) gd in Nov.
Cooper's Cross (IRE) 3-1 (11-5) Mid-division, headway into 4th 4 out, ridden well before last, headway to join leader last, outjumped and 1 length down run-in, ridden out and ran on well to lead on line, won at Sedgefield 2m 3f hcp (4) gs in Nov beating Baron De Midleton (11-12) by nk, 10 ran.
