hit 1st, chased leaders, effort under pressure approaching 2 out, weakened soon after
chased leader 3rd, led 3 out, edged left before and headed last, kept on flat
held up, headway to chase leader 4th, challenged 3 out, weakened before next
in touch, ridden and weakened after 3 out
held up, steady headway after 3 out, chased leaders 2 out, weakened before last
jumped left 1st and 2nd, hung badly left on bend after 2nd, headed well before next, behind and eased from 4th
held up in rear, hit 2nd, pushed along 4th, headway under pressure approaching 2 out, weakened soon after
mistake 1st, chased leader, led well before 3rd to 3 out, weakened before next
took keen hold early, held up in rear, headway after 3 out, challenged 2 out, bumped approaching last, led last, driven out flat
This is perhaps not as strong a renewal of this race as we have become accustomed to and SADLER'S STAR is given the vote ahead of Awesome George and Ronaldo Des Mottes. The selection has taken a bit of time to come to hand over hurdles, but his reappearance run at Taunton last month offered plenty more encouragement than we hasd previously seen. He is open to lots fo improvement, trip and ground should suit, and if he can finally shake off all signs of greenness then he can score. Awesome George has a little bit to find at these weights, but he has won and then run well in defeat on each of his last two starts which were at Cheltenham. Cut in the ground suits him and he has to be on the short list. The same comments apply to Ronaldo Des Mottes. David Pipe's gelding won at Folkstone on debut and relishes testing ground. He looks a certain improver and can get heavily involved. Intensifier has some solid form and handles the ground, though it is doubtful that he will break his duck this time, and of more interest is Polyfast. The Henderson horse made a pleasing debut and can show us more this time, and as one who handles good to soft he can probably go very well. Theophrastus cost ¿75,000 as a four-year-old and is related to some useful National Hunt stock, and this late debutant will probably have a future over fences. Sadler's Star gets the nomination.
Awesome George 7-1 (10-1) Mid-divsion, headway after 5th, ridden into narrow advantage approaching last, headed flat, no extra, 2nd of 15, 1/2l behind Presenting Copper (10-8) at Cheltenham 2m 1f hcp hdl (2) hvy in Jan.
El Dancer (GER) 5-2fav (10-12) Held up, headway 5th, chased leaders approaching 3 out, jumped left and hit 2 out, soon weakened, 6th of 17, 23l behind Quwetwo (10-12) at Doncaster 2m nov hdl (4) sft in Jan.
Polyfast (FR) 4-1 (11-0) Led, not fluent 2 out, ridden and narrowly headed when hit last, not pace of winner, 2nd of 11, 3l behind Song of Songs (11-0) at Kempton 2m nov hdl (2) gs in Dec '07.
Quondor Noire (FR) 17-2 (10-11) Chased leader, ridden 7th, soon weakened and pulled up 2 out in race won by Bremen (11-5) at Fontwell 2m 4f nov hdl (4) gf in Sept, 13 ran.
Sadler's Star (GER) 66-1 (11-2) Mid-division, headway after 3 out, challenged 2 out, soon ridden, kept on, no chance with winner, 2nd of 13, 5l behind Eradicate (11-5) at Taunton 2m 1f nov hdl (4) gs in Jan.
Sir Ian (IRE) 66-1 (11-5) Held up mid-division, behind from 6 out, 11th of 16, well behind Tarablaze (11-11) at Haydock 2m 4f nov hdl (4) sft in Jan.
Theophrastus (IRE) Overbury gelding out of Over The Glen.
Willie Warson (IRE) 100-1 (11-5) Mid-division, ridden 3 out, weakened after, 9th of 13, 37l behind Eradicate (11-5) at Taunton 2m 1f nov hdl (4) gs in Jan.
Ronaldo Des Mottes (FR) 2-1jt-fav (10-12) Took keen hold, tracked leaders, led on inside well before last, driven out run-in, won at Folkestone 2m 1f 4yo mdn hdl (4) gs in Jan beating Silk Affair (10-5) by 2 1/2l, 13 ran.
Intensifier (IRE) 9-1 (10-10) Mid-division, ridden and headway after 3 out, ran on to go 2nd flat, 2nd of 12, 5l behind Carrickboy (11-3) at Taunton 2m 1f mdn hdl (4) hvy.
