held up in last trio, mistake 5th, not fluent 3 out, soon ridden, weakened before next
tracked winner until 4th, 2nd again 2 out until mistake last, stayed on same pace flat
held up in last trio, mistake 5th, headway before 2 out, 2nd last, held by winner inside final 100 yards, lost 2nd close home
took keen hold, made all, slow 3rd, driven and held on well flat
held up in last trio, headway when not much room and stumbled 2 out, stayed on well flat, went 2nd close home
tracked leaders, took keen hold, went 2nd 4th until ridden 2 out, 5th and weakening last
in touch in mid-division, not fluent and lost place 3 out, weakened and pulled up before 2 out
held up in touch, lost place after 2 out, 6th and weakening last
Hygrove Percy has no hurdling form on soft ground and returns from a near six-month break having won three times last summer. Gregarious beat an out-of-sorts Percy Street here three weeks ago but it may not pay to take that form too literally. Deauville Crystal looks to be heading in the right direction, however, and Nigel Hawke’s filly seems to like testing going. ZALVADOS made the useful Don Bersy work hard for victory in a Class 2 event at Haydock last month. Second earlier at Newbury and Carlisle, it may be the turn of Oliver Greenall’s juvenile today as a tongue-tie has definitely brought about some improvement.
Great Tempo (FR) 9-2 (11-0) Tracked leaders, ridden before 2 out, weakened before last, 8th of 13, 32l behind Top Ville Ben (11-5) at Leicester 2m (4) gs in Jan.
Hygrove Percy 4-6fav (10-6) Jumped well, made all, shaken up approaching last, stayed on gamely and ridden clear run-in, won at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp (3) gd in Sep beating Istimraar (10-13) by 1 3/4l, 5 ran.
Zalvados (FR) 12-1 (10-12) In touch and keen, headway before 3 out, every chance last, kept on and held run-in, 2nd of 5, 2 1/4l behind Don Bersy (11-6) at Haydock 2m (2) gs in Feb.
Gregarious (IRE) 9-1 (10-7) Raced keenly, made all, joined and hit 2 out, stayed on to assert before the last, clear and kept on strongly run-in, won at Sandown 2m (4) sft in Feb beating Percy Street (11-0) by 9l, 4 ran.
Deauville Crystal (FR) 5-2 (10-2) Soon mid-division, headway before 2 out, soon chased leader, ridden after last, kept on to lead towards finish, won at Sedgefield 2m 1f mdn (5) hvy in Feb beating Culmination (11-5) by nk, 8 ran.
Hollywood Ken (IRE) 33-1 (10-12) Towards rear, last 3rd, tailed off next, pulled up after, at Warwick 2m (4) sft in Feb.
Shrubland 18-1 (11-4) Reluctant to race and given reminder, in rear, not fluent 2nd, mistake 6th, closed next, weakened after 3 out, 6th of 10, dist behind Bound Hill (11-1) at Fontwell 2m 3f hcp (4) sft in Feb.
Pension Madness (IRE) 16-1 (9-4) Held up towards rear, struggling over 3f out, 10th of 14, 10l behind Par Three (9-4) at Chelmsford City 1m 5f hcp (6) pol in Mar.