held up well in rear, smooth headway on wide outside approaching 2 out, soon found little under pressure and beaten
held up in touch, headway to track leaders after 3 out, chased winner next, soon no impression, just held on to hold 2nd
led, not fluent and headed 4th, mistake and dropped rear 3 out, kept on again, flat
tracked leaders, pushed along after 3 out, driven and weakened approaching 2 out
took keen hold, held up behind leaders, chased leading pair after 3 out, weakened 2 out
tracked leaders, close up 3 out, weakened under pressure before next
tracked leader, challenged 3rd, led next, drew clear from 2 out, easily
soon tracked leader, driven and no impression approaching 2 out, soon lost 2nd, stayed on under pressure flat, just held for 2nd
Intersky Falcon is taken to get back to winning ways, with Rigmarole, Geos and Westender making for an interesting contest. The latter actually finished ahead of Jonjo O'Neill's runner at Aintree last time and is 6lb better off into the bargain, but is still looking for his first win since 2001 so is passed over again. Providing Intersky Falcon gets a fair pace ahead of him, he should be up to the task in a bid to go one better than when second to Copeland in this two years ago. He had too much to do at Cheltenham and found the trip too far at Aintree three weeks ago, so appears to have a lot going for him. Rigmarole burst onto the Champion Hurdle scene with a string of top efforts earlier on but bombed out when it mattered most and it remains to be seen whether he has had enough for the season, while Tote Gold Trophy hero Geos was tailed off when pulled up at Cheltenham and is another not to totally rely on. Intersky Falcon may well have more to give though and is the pick.
