behind, headway over 1f out, never nearer
slow in to stride, always behind
chased leaders, ridden halfway, weakened over 1f out
chased leaders, ridden, no headway final 2f
tracked leaders, ridden, led 1f out, ran on
held up mid-division, ridden over 2f out, no impression
always prominent, ridden over 2f out, kept on same pace
slow into stride, held up, headway over 3f out, stayed on final furlong to take 2nd near finish
tracked leader, ridden 2f out, weakened well over 1f out
always behind
raced wide, never on terms
held up mid-division, ridden halfway, soon weakened
The Southwell 2:20 has been divided, with division one boasting quantity, but not quality judging by the line-up. Try as we might, it is hard to get enthusiastic about any of the bottom seven, and taking jockeyship into account in this amateur riders event, it is hard to escape the claims of Nearly A Fool, the mount of Carol Williams. Alan Bailey's charge landed a bit of a gamble when ridden by Pat Eddery to score over seven furlongs at Lingfield recently. Prior to that he had disappointed when tried over 10 furlongs, and is much more at home over shorter. Although he has yet to win over this distance, the former Brocklesby winner has pace, and almost certainly too much for this lot, the best of whom could be Chispa. Karl Burke¿s five-year-old ran well from a high draw at Newcastle recently and has dropped to a handy mark these days after some poor performances. Described as a 'flying machine' by former trainer Michael Chapman, it would be no surprise if she gave Nearly a Fool a race. As for the others, Supreme Salutation will find this on the short side, while Arnbi Dancer in contrast, runs out of steam when it matters most.