held up, pushed along and outpaced 3 out, plugged on from 2 out
prominent, mistake 6 out, ridden from 4 out, not fluent 2 out, upsides last, led flat, stayed on strongly
led, pulled hard early, not fluent 2nd, going well home turn, hard pressed last, headed flat, no extra
Stepney Causeway, no longer the trail-blazing front-runner of old, benefitted from a patient hold-up ride from Harry Reed to land the spoils at Worcester recently. His stable remains in good form, but he was beaten four lengths by MAGISTRATO at Warwick in late May and is now worse off at the weights. The latter has since left Paul Nicholls and came home a respectable fourth of six at Aintree on a first start for new connections. Guinness Affair was beaten a long way by the front two in that Warwick race but has since won smoothly at Hexham. He probably didn't give his true running in that previous clash and should get much nearer at least to the other two this time around.
Stepney Causeway 10-3 (11-4) Slowly away, in touch in rear and took keen hold, headway 3 out, led 2 out, driven out, won at Worcester 2m hcp (4) gd in Jun beating Blueberry Wine (11-4) by 1l, 4 ran.
Guinness Affair (FR) 9-4 (12-0) Close up in touch, led 2nd, pressed for lead 3 out, briefly headed 2 out, soon went clear, 6 lengths ahead approaching last, pushed out run-in, won at Hexham 2m hcp (4) gd in Jun beating Kicksaftersix (10-5) by 14l, 3 ran.
Magistrato (FR) 8-1 (11-10) Took keen hold in last pair, mistake 8th, closed when not much room 3 out, 4th and no impression before last, 4th of 6, 5l behind Blueberry Wine (11-10) at Aintree 2m hcp (3) gd in Jun.
