held up, headway and mistake 8th, ridden 3 out, weakening when jumped left 2 out
held up, struggling when mistake 7th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
led, headed when blundered 8th, weakened quickly, tailed off when pulled up after 3 out
held up in rear, effort when pecked 8th, weakened next
chased leader, led approaching 8th, ridden approaching 2 out, headed and no extra flat
held up, headway 7th, every chance when not fluent 2 out, soon hard ridden, led briefly flat, no extra
tracked leaders, not fluent 3 out, soon ridden, hit last, soon switched right, stayed on to lead towards finish
behind from 4th, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out.
The shortlist here consists of Freydis, Smurfit and Toomebridge, with the vote going to the last-named. Working our way through the runners and Gaye Trigger has shown promise and will probably appreciate the step up to today's trip, although he has not raced for 198 days. To be fair, it is hard to build a big case for the others, other than those shortlisted, based on what we have so far seen, although Lumyno takes a big step up in trip today. To turn to the principals then. Freydis looked to be going the right way when second to Koquelicot at Worcester last month, so she is entitled to respect. With his stable among the winners of late, Smurfit, who showed promise on his two-and-a-half mile Fakenham debut in a race that was run at a pace that would not have suited, is one to place high on the list of possibles, but the vote goes to Toomebridge. The Jeff King-trained gelding was beaten two-and-a-half lengths into third behind Ironman Muldoon on his seasonal return when quite well supported. He ought to stay this longer trip and, with that pipe-opener out of the way, he looks the one to beat.
