It is difficult to avoid the claims of Colonel Frank after his fine second to Ballycassidy at Newbury earlier in the month, and Brendan Powell's charge is fancied to gain a confidence-boosting first success over fences today before going on to better things in the not too distant future. Of the rest: Denny's Well is still unexposed in this sphere and has a small prize in him somewhere along the line. However, he has not really impressed with his attitude in his two starts under rules to date and remains a risky proposition when taking into account that he also has just over a year's absence to overcome today as well. There are also nagging doubts about Quincy's Perk and Barton Bog regarding their ability to jump at speed and they are hard to recommend for the forecast slot over these notoriously stiff fences. So, in summary, Colonel Frank has by far the best profile coming into the race and is given a confident vote despite the likelihood of him being sent off at very cramped odds for what looks to be a straightforward task for him.
