tracked leader, led after 5th, left clear approaching 2 out, easily
always behind, tailed off 5th
led, headed after 5th, weakened after 3 out, left poor 2nd approaching 2 out
tracked leaders, went 2nd after 3 out, ridden when went lame and pulled up before 2 out
held up, headway after 5th, weakened 3 out
Silencio looks unopposable here and is taken to land this lightweight affair, with Vantage put up as the main danger and Preston Hall capable of taking some minor money. No prizes for bravery with the selection, who is on a four timer here after winning at Bangor and twice at Market Rasen on the past couple of months. Game, genuine, and with the suggestion of more improvement to come, Alan King has found him a good chance to continue his sequence here and he looks likely to do just that. Vantage is a rare hurdling runner for Nick Littmoden and is interesting for that reason in itself. Rated 80 on the Flat, if he can transfer that level of form to the timber then he should be the main challenger. He stays 12 furlongs on the level and also acts with cut, so don't rule him out, but we have not seen him take a hurdle yet and for that reason we oppose. Of the others, Preston Hall at least has some experience and didn't perform too badly last time, so he may be up to making the frame, but our idea of the winner is Silencio, who can silence his opponents.
