soon tracking leaders, ridden and weakened approaching 5 out
tracked leaders, ridden and weakened approaching 5 out, pulled up before next
mid-division, headway to go prominent 7th, ridden approaching 3 out, ran on to lead close home
always towards rear, lost place 8th, tailed off before pulled up 4 out
held up in rear, reminders approaching 9th, weakened from 5 out, tailed off when pulled up before 2 out
led, mistake 6th, blundered next, blundered 10th, ridden approaching 4 out, headed next, weakened after 2 out
held up, driven along 9th, ridden approaching 4 out, led 3 out, clear last, eased towards finish, headed close home
held up in touch, outpaced approaching 4 out, ridden next, one pace from last
tracked leader, ridden and weakened from 5 out, tailed off when pulled up before 4 out
In the penultimate race on the card, Imaginaire is selected ahead of Sound Of Cheers and Flaming Heck. Fiori is capable of running well from around today's mark, as his recent very good Grand Sefton Chase second testifies, while Imaginaire is now rated just a pound above his March Huntingdon winning mark and, much as that came over an extended two miles, he stays this trip and has to be respected. On the same type of reasoning, Sound Of Cheers, who is back to his Newcastle winning mark of December 2004, can be considered. Green Finger certainly looked capable of winning from this type of mark in Ireland but two runs here have been inconclusive. One Five Eight arguably has it to prove from his current chase rating, but a return to the level of his January Newcastle win would give Flaming Heck a chance. Lost In Normandy needs a career best to score, although he is not ruled out of a place, while Avadi has been beaten twice from his current rating since winning, and Jballingall could not be a strong fancy, being eight pounds above his winning Carlisle mark. Not so with Imaginaire, who gets the vote.
Fiori 12-1 (10-2) Chased leaders, mistake 5th, soon pushed along, weakened 8th, tailed off when pulled up 3 out in race won by Schuh Shine (11-7) at Haydock 2m 4f hcp chs 0-135 (3) sft, 10 ran.
Imaginaire (USA) 5-2fav (11-2) Held up, pushed along and mistake 8th, soon weakened, 5th of 6, well behind Nowator (11-9) at Haydock 2m hcp chs 0-125 (D) sft in Dec.
Sound Of Cheers 9-2 (11-5) Mid-division, outpaced from 11th, weakened 4 out, 6th of 11, 20l behind Good Outlook (10-10) at Catterick 2m 3f hcp chs 0-120 (3) gd.
One Five Eight 6-1 (11-9) Held up towards rear, hampered 10th pulled up at the 11th in race won by El Andaluz (10-3) at Market Rasen 3m 1f nov hcp chs 0-105 (E) gs in Dec, 11 ran.
Flaming Heck 11-1 (10-8) Led, headed 5th, chased leaders until ridden and weakened after 4 out, last of 9, well behind Vingis Park (11-5) at Aintree 2m 4f nov hcp hdl 0-115 (D) gs in Nov.
Lost In Normandy (IRE) 2-1fav (10-12) Chased leader, ridden and effort after 4 out, one pace from next, 3rd of 10, 15l behind Walcot Lad (11-9) at Fontwell 2m 2f hcp chs 0-90 (F) gd in Dec.
Avadi (IRE) 4-1jt-fav (11-2) In touch, headway 6th, ridden to lead after 3 out, headed last and weakened, 2nd of 13, 15l behind Wages (11-2) at Towcester 2m hcp chs 0-95 (5) sft.
Jballingall 5-1 (11-7) Led, headed approaching last, no extra, 2nd of 14, 12l behind Cyborsun (11-5) at Sedgefield 2m 5f hcp chs 0-90 (5) sft.
