held up off the pace in mid-division, headway chasing leaders 5th, pushed along in 3rd after 3 out, weakened before next, mistake last
waited with in rear, good headway on inside approaching 3 out, disputing well held 2nd next until before the last, weakened run-in
held up off the ace in mid-division, headway chasing leaders 5th, disputing 2nd on outside 2 out until went outright 2nd before the last, no chance with winner
prominent in chasing group, lost place and struggling after 5th, tailed off
kept wide, chased clear leader, closer at 4th, led after 3 out, clear next, stayed on strongly
always towards rear, struggling after 4 out, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out
always behind, struggling before 4 out, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out
raced on inside, led and soon clear, came back to the field and reached for 4th, headed after 3 out, ridden and lost 2nd before next, weakened and pulled up before last
well off the pace towards rear and pushed along most of way, stayed on approaching 2 out, kept on into never dangerous 3rd run-in
chased leaders, weakened after 3 out, tailed off and pulled up before next
raced wide, always towards rear, struggling in rear before 6th, tailed off
NonRunner
Demon Fou shot up the weights after winning over course and distance in October but he’s held his form well and may have benefited from a break. Midnight Midge has also had a short lay-off but is 2-2 this season while Smackwater Jack was well backed dropped in grade at Sedgefield last week and was unlucky to be badly hampered at the first flight. Aidan Coleman rides the latter’s stablemate Collooney and he also enters calculations having been lightly raced this season. Earth Moor and Cilaos Glace could also go well along with Hygrove Percy, who gets cheekpieces, but the vote goes to DUC DE BEAUCHENE. The seven-year-old was behind a couple of these here in December but that wasn’t his true running. The Pipe stable is much better form now and a repeat of a decisive victory at Cheltenham in the autumn would make him hard to beat. Darsi In The Park was a surprise winner of a Uttoxeter maiden last month but the second won at Exeter on Tuesday so the form looks better now than it did at the time.
Smackwater Jack (IRE) 13-8fav (11-12) In touch when hampered and fell 1st, at Market Rasen 2m 7f hcp (3) sft in Feb.
Duc De Beauchene (FR) 9-2 (10-9) Held up in last pair, driven and outpaced before 2 out, soon ridden, never able to challenge, 7th of 8, 17 1/4l behind Third Wind (11-3) at Wincanton 2m 5f hcp (2) hvy in Dec.
Collooney (IRE) 18-1 (10-7) Held up in last pair, driven before 2 out, never near leaders, 6th of 8, 16 1/4l behind Third Wind (11-3) at Wincanton 2m 5f hcp (2) hvy in Dec.
Hygrove Percy 7-1 (11-9) Prominent, outpaced after 3 out, kept on from last, 4th of 11, 9 3/4l behind Espoir De Romay (12-0) at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (3) sft in Jan.
Earth Moor (IRE) 14-1 (11-4) Soon chasing leaders and wide, ridden and weakened after 2 out, 12th of 17, 16 3/4l behind Downtown Getaway (11-8) at Kempton 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Feb.
Cilaos Glace (FR) 7-2 (11-3) Close up, pushed along before and mistake and unseated rider 4 out when looking well held, at Leicester 2m 4f hcp (3) gs in Dec.
Kuiper Belt (USA) 100-1 (11-4) Always towards rear, never a factor, tailed off, last of 17, dist behind Downtown Getaway (11-8) at Kempton 2m 5f hcp (3) gs in Feb.
Midnight Midge 9-2 (10-10) Led 2nd, made rest, hard driven after 2 out, stayed on well, won at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (3) gs in Nov beating Myplaceatmidnight (11-12) by 3l, 13 ran.
Darsi In The Park (IRE) 25-1 (11-4) Held up mid-division, smooth headway approaching 3 out, shaken up before 2 out, ridden to lead last, ran on well, won at Uttoxeter 2m mdn (4) hvy in Feb beating Jack Valentine (11-4) by 7l, 11 ran.
Demon Fou (FR) 12-1 (10-0) Raced keenly, held up in 4th, driven to chase leaders before 2 out, ridden between last 2, kept on same pace, well held in 4th when edged left flat, 4th of 8, 10l behind Third Wind (11-3) at Wincanton 2m 5f hcp (2) hvy in Dec.
Uno Mas 7-1 (10-8) In rear, outpaced 5 out, weakened from 3 out, 5th of 6, 31 1/2l behind Informateur (11-13) at Sedgefield 2m 4f hcp (3) hvy in Feb.
Lungarno Palace (USA) 16-1 (11-7) Chased leaders, ridden and weakened before last, 7th of 11, 14 1/4l behind Espoir De Romay (12-0) at Wincanton 2m 4f hcp (3) sft in Jan.
