in lead when blundered and unseated rider 1st
in touch, slow 3rd, weakened 6 out, tailed off, modest 4th
left in lead 1st and made rest, mistake 2nd, joined after 5 out, driven when challenged 3 out, ran on strongly
tracked leaders, went 2nd at 10th, every chance after 3 out, weakened before last
prominent, joined leader 4th, lost place 10th, mistake next, weakened 4 out, tailed off, modest 3rd
Work In Progress unseated at Market Rasen last time but had landed a hat-trick of novice chases before that and shouldn’t be written off in this. But a chance is taken FOUNTAINS WINDFALL takes to the larger obstacles given he’s a Grade 3 winner at Aintree over hurdles and should be sharper for a recent comeback run in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby. Stowaway Magic and Forth Bridge are other hurdle winners making their chasing debuts and both are rated much higher over timber than Popelys Gull, who is penalised for making a winning start over fences at Wetherby last month.
Work In Progress (IRE) 4-1fav (11-6) Prominent, led 6th, blundered next, driven and headed when mistake and unseated rider 3 out, at Market Rasen 2m 5f hcp lst (1) gs in Sep.
Popelys Gull (IRE) 28-1 (11-3) Held up in rear, headway before 4 out, led before 2 out, blundered and headed last, kept on to lead towards finish, won at Wetherby 2m 3f (4) gd in Oct beating Cooking Fat (11-3) by 1l, 6 ran.
Fountains Windfall 14-1 (11-4) Chased leaders, went 2nd after 6th until 8th, led after 4 out, headed before next, weakened 2 out, 5th of 7, 29l behind Colin's Sister (10-10) at Wetherby 3m (1) sft in Nov.
Stowaway Magic (IRE) 10-1 (11-11) Mid-division, tracked leaders after 3 out, challenged next, every chance last, soon ridden, no impression with winner flat, stayed on to take narrow 2nd closing stages, 2nd of 16, 6l behind Wait For Me (11-7) at Sandown 2m 4f hcp (2) gd in Apr.
Forth Bridge 9-2 (10-4) Close up, ridden before 2 out, lost 3rd when no extra towards finish, 4th of 5, 15l behind Sceau Royal (11-0) at Warwick 2m (4) gd in Oct.
