in touch, ridden to challenge 2f out, every chance inside final furlong, hung right under pressure, just held close home
soon led, ridden over 2f out, hard ridden and kept on under pressure inside final furlong, all out
tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, kept on same pace final furlong
held up in touch, effort over 4f, weakened over 2f out
slowly to stride, in rear, ridden over 3f out, headway over 2f out, kept on well inside final furlong
led early, tracked leaders, ridden over 3f out, weakened over 1f out
behind, ridden over 3f out, kept on same pace final 2f
David Loder's topweight King's Consul will have his supporters but recent winner Honor Rouge and Hambleden make more appeal, with the vote going to the latter. Hambleden's trainer Michael Jarvis is in a bit of form at present and the six-year-old loves fast ground so will relish the prevailing conditions. He has not won for two years but has taken on good company a number of times, including when 10th in the Ebor last August. More recently, he ran a blinder in the Tote Exacta Handicap at York, having had his rivals at full stretch before being collared close home by shock winner Landing Light under a strong drive from Kieren Fallon. It could be a wise move dropping him back in trip, and similar forcing tactics can pay dividends. Honor Rouge will be a tough opponent though, judged on her recent return to form at Salisbury, but that race was not as strong as the opposition that Hambleden has been up against so she should be held. Jamie Spencer is an interesting booking for Sahem, but the trip and ground are against him, while David Loder's King's Consul, lightly raced for a four-year-old, still has plenty to prove.