held up off the pace in 5th, good headway out wide chasing leaders before 2 out, soon 3rd, no impression on leading duo, lost 3rd towards finish
chased leader until hit 4 out, chased leading pair, pushed along after 3 out, weakened before 2 out, no chance when blundered badly 2 out, eased
soon off the pace in 4th, outpaced and struggling in 5th 4 out, left remote 4th 2 out, went 3rd towards finish
off the pace and never going in rear, reminders and struggling after 7th, tailed off
jumped right throughout, led, clever 4 out, ridden and headed last, stayed on same pace run-in
well off the pace in last pair, never on terms
raced in 3rd, awkward and pushed along after 9th, went 2nd 4 out, ridden before 2 out, led last, driven out
Mercian Prince is straightforward but this trip looks too short nowadays for Amy Murphy’s veteran. Though Leapaway won in this grade at Warwick last time and beat Mercian Prince and Pisgah Pike at Worcester last summer, he was beaten fair and square by SEBASTOPOL at Chepstow in April and is only a pound better off. The top weight isn’t always foot-perfect but is talented when getting his act together. Kauto The King has a good strike-rate and is back on-song but Prince Escalus looks in the handicapper’s grip and Across The Line has been running in hunter chases lately.
Sebastopol (IRE) 10-1 (11-6) Held up, headway over 3 out, nudged along over 2 out, shaken up in 5th after 2 out, kept on after last and took 3rd closing stages, 3rd of 16, 7 1/2l behind N'Golo (10-9) at Haydock 2m hcp (1) gs in May.
Prince Escalus (IRE) 10-11fav (12-5) Slight lead 1st until before 6th, chased leader, in front again 6th, joined 2 out, ridden and headed between last two, no chance with winner, mistake last, 2nd of 4, 10l behind Rikoboy (11-3) at Warwick 2m hcp (3) gd in Mar.
Leapaway (IRE) 13-2 (11-3) Held up in rear, mistake 4th, awkward next, outpaced 8th, pushed along before 3 out, headway 2 out, ridden after last, stayed on well to lead final 100yds, won at Warwick 2m hcp (2) gd in May beating Dolos (12-0) by 1 3/4l, 6 ran.
Pisgah Pike (IRE) 9-2 (11-12) Led, joined when hit 3 out, already headed when mistake next, no chance with winner, 2nd of 3, 14l behind Up The Straight (11-2) at Plumpton 2m 4f (3) gd in Oct.
Mercian Prince (IRE) 18-1 (11-3) Led, disputed lead 2nd, not fluent 7th, led outright 10th, pushed along before 2 out, ridden and headed before last, rallied gamely after last, no extra final 50yds, 2nd of 7, 1l behind Tamaroc Du Mathan (11-9) at Plumpton 2m 4f hcp (2) gd in May.
Across The Line (IRE) 11-4 (12-2) Towards rear, headway to chase leaders 3rd, went third 5th, outpaced briefly before 3 out, went second approaching next, ridden to challenge before last, led last, ran on flat, just held on, won at Stratford 2m 1f (5) gd in May beating Azzuri (11-12) by nk, 7 ran.
Kauto The King (FR) 5-2 (11-13) Led, hit 8th and briefly joined, led again before 9th, eased clear before 4 out where left alone, coasted home thereafter, eased down late on, won at Worcester 2m 4f hcp (4) gd in May.
