held up in touch, smooth headway over 2f out, led 1f out, headed inside final furlong, stayed pressing winner, held near finish
held up in touch, pushed along and outpaced 3f out, stayed on under pressure from over 1f out, but not a danger
pulled hard, held up behind leaders, effort and edged left 2f out, soon ridden and beaten
tracked leaders on inner, effort and pushed along over 2f out, chased leader over 1f out, led inside final furlong and kept norrow advantage, driven out
held up in rear, pushed along and headway on outer over 3f out, stayed on final furlong, never going pace to reach leaders
dwelt, held up in rear, pushed along and no impression 3f out, kept on final furlong
led, joined halfway, stayed close up untill weakened over 1f out
held up in rear, pushed along 3f out, kept on final furlong, never reached leaders
chased leader to halfway remained close up, untill weakened quickly inside final 2f
took keen hold, held up in touch, untill desputed lead from halfway, definate advantage 3f out, untill not quickened and headed over 1f out, kept on same pace after
in touch, pushed along halfway, weakened and well behind final 3f
A decent line-up for this Group 3 contest and one in which we like the look of Bustan ahead of Island House, Bourgainville and Muqbil. The selection was third in the Winter Derby and then lost little in defeat when beating all bar Scott's View in Kempton's Magnolia Stakes last time. Blinkers are applied for the first-time today for this son of Darshaan and they could just bring about that extra edge of improvement. Island House has just short of two lengths to find on that Kempton run, but Chancellor looks held. Italian import Sunstrach is a little hard to assess on his first run for Luca Cumani but could go well, and working on last-season formlines involving Far Lane, Muqbil is actually weighted to beat the selection. However, he lacks a recent run, a similar comment applying to the Lingfield Derby Trial winner Franklins Gardens, while Nysaean could go well on his favoured soft going as he is two-pounds better off with the selection for the just-over three lengths he finished behind him in the Magnolia Stakes last time. Bourgainville will come here fit and finished second in this race last year and he has only a neck to find on the selection on their recent Winter Derby form. A fairly tight little affair, then, and one in which we will side with Bustan.
