led, ridden headed over 1f out, stayed on same pace
close up, ridden 3f out, weakened approaching final furlong
chased leader, ridden 3f out, weakened final furlong
held up, headway 2f out, led over 1f out, ridden out
held up, wide and headway 5f out, soon ridden, weakened 3f out
held up, ridden and edged left 3f out, weakened 2f out
took keen and held up, ridden 4f out, not much room 3f out, stayed on final furlong, never nearer
A smallish field but there should be some competition there between the ones that are in form. Among them is bottom weight Critical Stage, who scored twice over course and distance at the end of January and then a fortnight later. However, he has gone up 9lb as a result of that, and remains on that mark after being touched off into second here over a furlong further last time. Another good effort is expected, though he might just be found wanting again under this weight. Gingko is one of two runners for trainer Paul Webber. A decent run here to finish second in January resulted in Gingko being put up 5lb, which accounted for him being beaten further last time. However, he has been dropped back 2lb here which certainly gives him a squeak. The major concern here is with the ground. With the going officially slow and his apparent inability to handle it soft on turf thus far, that is definitely a worry, so he is no more than a tentative selection here. Aleron will have his supporters after winning here over 1m 4f last time, though a 6lb rise should put paid to any chance he has of following up.
