made most from 2nd, hard pressed 2 out, headed when not fluent last, ridden, kept on under pressure flat, held near finish
held up on outside, headway to challenge approaching 2 out, led last, ridden, edged left flat, held on under pressure towards finish
close up on outside, ridden, outpaced 3 out, no impression from next
held up in touch, effort 3 out, outpaced next, no impression approaching last
held up in rear, headway, effort approaching 2 out, ridden, one pace approaching last, no impression with leading pair
tracked leaders, lost place 4 out, soon behind, tailed off when veered left, unseated rider last
led to 2nd, disputed lead, ridden, lost place approaching 2 out, soon weakened
Special Occasion is surely better than he showed at Kempton on his reappearance last month but he is hard to back with any confidence after that run despite being trained by Paul Nicholls and a better bet looks to be SHORE THING, who gets the vote with Moment Present looking the best of the rest. The selection only won a claiming hurdle at Ludlow last month but he won it with plenty in hand on similarly testing ground to this afternoon and he can follow up. Tony Newcombe's Jocheski was good value for his win here last month but that was on good ground and he may not appreciate the underfoot conditions today, while Cantabilly seems a shade high in the weights at present. Colin Tizzard's Wise Men Say has claims on the form shown when successful at Fontwell last month but he disappointed either side of that and is hard to predict. Moment Present has yet to confirm that he is effective on ground this soft but if he had any doubts over the going, Charlie Mann would not run him so he has to be respected. There are no doubts over Shore Thing though and he has solid claims of winning again.
Shore Thing (IRE) 9-4 (11-12) Made all, not fluent 2 out, clear last, ridden out, won at Ludlow 2m Claiming Hurdle (4-7) (4) sft in Nov beating Bureaucrat (11-8) by 14l, 6 ran.
Special Occasion 11-1 (10-7) Took keen hold, held up, mistake 1st, headway approaching 5th, weakened before 7th, behind when mistake 3 out, tailed off, 11th of 13, well behind Trenchant (11-9) at Kempton 2m 5f hcp hdl (2) gd in Nov.
Moment Present (FR) 11-2 (11-7) Held up towards rear, blundered 4th, headway 6th, hung right from 2 out, stayed on flat, just failed to get 2nd, 3rd of 11, 5l behind I Hear A Symphony (11-9) at Huntingdon 2m 4f hcp hdl 0-120 (3) gd in Nov.
Jocheski (IRE) 7-1 (11-0) Held up, good headway 4 out, led narrowly next, ridden clear approaching last, comfortable, won at Taunton 2m 3f 4yo Am hcp hdl (4) gd in Nov beating Aviatore (11-5) by 14l, 15 ran.
Cantabilly (IRE) 13-2 (10-4) Tracked leader, led 7th, ridden and hit 2 out, headed flat, no extra, 2nd of 8, 3l behind Lake Legend (11-12) at Taunton 2m 3f hcp hdl 0-135 (3) gs in Nov.
Only For Sue 28-1 (10-9) Prominent, ridden after 2 out, outpaced when not fluent last, stayed on flat, 5th of 19, 6l behind Katies Tuitor (11-4) at Cheltenham 2m 1f hcp hdl 0-140 (2) gd in Apr '08.
Wise Men Say (IRE) 15-2 (10-8) Prominent to approaching 5th, soon ridden and lost place, tailed off when pulled up next, in a race won by Dontpaytheferryman (9-13) at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp hdl 0-130 (3) hvy in Nov, 12 ran.
