keen, mid-division, eased and pulled up before 4th
prominent, lost place 3rd, no danger after
in touch, ridden 3 out, led approaching last, ran on
prominent, ridden and hit 3 out, soon weakened
tracked leaders, ridden in every chance approaching last, not quicken
always behind
held up and keen, hit 4th, headway 6th, ridden after 3 out, soon weakened
in touch, headway 4th, ridden 6th, soon weakened, behind when pulled up before 2 out
held up and keen, ridden and some headway approaching 2 out, never reach leaders
held up, headway 4th, ridden after 6th, weakened next, behind when pulled up before 2 out
A tough one to call, but Dunraven is holding his form well at present and, with Timmy Murphy taking over the steering duties, he is selected to extend the run here. Ben More, Sonny Jim and I'm For Waiting are shortlisted as live dangers, but the lightly raced Beauty has a featherweight to carry today and could be the one to side with for each way punters. However, he may just be in need of the run having been off since August, so the race-fit Dunraven fills the hole for win only purposes. The eight-year-old reverts to hurdles after being beaten just over two lengths in a Novice chase at Leicester earlier in the month and should have no problems adapting his style of running. Off a rating of 87, he is obviously no world-beater, but considering that Muskasturm has only beaten one horse home in his last three races, Barney Curley's charge is hardly a solid proposition to carry top weight to victory today. Therefore, with Murphy in the saddle to boot him on, Dunraven is taken to force a stranglehold on a race that lacks any real strength-in-depth from perspective of the form book.
