chased leaders, under pressure 4 out, soon weakened
led, not fluent 3rd, 6 lengths clear approaching 5th, hard driven and headed approaching 2 out, rallied last, stayed on well
held up in touch, mistakes 4th and 5th, effort 3 out, never on terms
tracked leader, outpaced 3 out, stayed on approaching last, no extra flat
tracked leaders, led before 2 out, hard driven last, ran on well
Nicky Henderson looks to have found a good opportunity for SPEED MASTER to open his account over hurdles at the first time of asking. A bumper winner under McCoy in March this year, he went close to following-up at Hereford after that and gets the vote in this company. Ebanour is another bumper winner making his hurdling bow, though he ran poorly on his return at Carlisle last month, while Belle Du Fontenay is the most experienced hurdler but likely to find today's opposition too good. Achimota and Busby Berkeley are hard to fancy.
Achimota (IRE) 33-1 (11-0) Held up in rear, headway approaching 6th, ridden after next, weakened 3 out, 4th of 13, 40l behind So Fine (11-0) at Worcester 2m 4f mdn hdl (5) gd in Oct.
Belle De Fontenay (FR) 13-2 (10-10) Led, clear before 3rd, driven approaching 2 out, headed flat, no extra clsoe home, 2nd of 15, 2 3/4l behind Combustible Lady (10-10) at Worcester 2m mrs nov hdl (4) gd in Oct.
Busby Berkeley (IRE) 6-1 (11-0) Held up towards rear, pushed along over 6f out, headway over 5f out, weakened 4f out, tailed off, 8th of 11, well behind Johns Spirit (10-13) at Newton Abbot 2m 1f NH flat (6) gs in Aug.
Ebanour (IRE) 9-4 (11-2) Tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, soon weakened, 6th of 11, 27l behind Cross Of Honour (11-0) at Carlisle 2m 1f NH flat (6) gd in Oct.
Speed Master (IRE) 9-4 (11-11) Tracked leaders, went 2nd over 4f out, ridden to challenge over 1f out, led briefly inside final furlong, no extra towards finish, 2nd of 15, 2 3/4l behind Harry Topper (10-5) at Hereford 2m 1f NH flat (6) gd in Apr.
