prominent, lost place before 3 out, not much room briefly approaching 2 out, soon weakened
held up towards rear, not fluent 5th, headway on outside and disputing 6th when bad mistake 2 out, not recover and soon well beaten
held up in touch in mid-division, headway approaching 7th, weakened before 2 out
held up towards rear, ridden and well beaten after 3 out, pulled up before next
led, ridden and headed last, edged left and stayed on same pace flat
prominent, ridden 3 out, weakened before next
held up in touch on inside, closed after 3 out, challenging when mistake 2 out, ridden and edged left before leading last, stayed on well to draw clear final 100 yards
tracked leaders, ridden 2 out, one pace before last
held up towards rear on outside, mistake 7th, ridden and effort after 3 out, no impression next
held up in touch in mid-division, ridden after 3 out, outpaced before 2 out, no impression after
held up in rear, headway 7th, ridden and weakened after 3 out
held up in rear, headway approaching 3 out, every chance before next, one pace before last
not fluent 5th, always in rear, behind 3 out
Nonrunner
Master Of The Sea is on a hat-trick after wins at Hereford and Doncaster, though he has struggled over trips in excess of 2m4f in the past. Well Hello There is starting to come down the weights and Curtain Razer is probably capable of better than he's shown so far while Highland Retreat was a good third at Ascot last month, though may not be suited by the drop in distance. MINELLA THEATRE was having his first run over hurdles since 2009 when facing a hopeless task behind Zarkandar over 2m1f at Cheltenham but this trip will be much more to his liking and he's ridiculously well handicapped if translating his chase form to the smaller obstacles. He gets a tentative vote as Kartanian has disappointed so far over timber and this looks a big ask for the four-year-old Spanish Fork.
Well Hello There (IRE) 9-1 (11-10) Led after 1st, narrowly headed after 6th, hit next, went right and lost 2nd 3 out, weakened before next, 4th of 8, 31l behind Sixty Something (11-8) at Bangor 3m hcp hdl 0-135 (3) hvy in Dec.
Banyan Tree (IRE) 100-1 (11-1) Mid-division when fell 6th, in a race won by Loose Chips (11-7) at Kempton 2m 5f hcp hdl 0-135 (3) hvy in Dec, 12 ran.
Curtain Razer (IRE) 8-1 (10-8) Mid-division, fell 5th, in a race won by Fair Along (11-12) at Newbury 3m hcp hdl 0-140 (3) sft in Nov, 17 ran.
Martin Scruff (IRE) 28-1 (11-1) Towards rear, reminders halfway, never a factor, kept on one pace in straight, 9th of 24, 50l behind Whatever Jacksays (10-2) at Punchestown 3m Handicap Hurdle (95-130) (4yo+) hvy in Apr.
Highland Retreat 16-1 (11-2) Held up in mid-division, headway to chase leaders after 9th, went 2nd soon after 3 out, every chance 2 out, outpaced before last, rallied to 3rd towards finish, 3rd of 13, 3l behind De La Bech (11-12) at Ascot 3m nov hcp hdl 0-120 (4) hvy in Dec.
Madam Noso 14-1 (10-11) In touch, ridden before 11th, weakened before next, tailed off when looked like refusing and pulled up 2 out, in a race won by Bunglasha Lady (11-4) at Plumpton 3m 1f hcp hdl 0-125 (3) sft in Dec, 9 ran.
Master Of The Sea (IRE) 15-8fav (10-7) Tracked leaders, led before 3 out, jumped right 2 out, not fluent last, strongly pressed flat, held on close home, won at Aintree 2m 4f nov hcp hdl 0-120 (4) sft in Dec beating Bathwick Brave (11-9) by shd, 13 ran.
Kartanian (IRE) 6-1 (10-4) Tracked leaders, led after 3 out, ridden and headed approaching next, kept on same pace, no impression with front pair before last, 3rd of 11, 19l behind Landscape (10-13) at Taunton 2m 3f hcp (3) hvy in Dec.
Minella Theatre (IRE) 150-1 (11-0) Held up in last trio, struggling 3 out, no chance with leaders, 5th of 7, 34l behind Zarkandar (11-4) at Cheltenham 2m 1f hdl G2 (1) hvy in Dec.
Mystic Appeal (IRE) 16-1 (11-2) Not fluent in rear 1st or 2nd, always behind, tailed off after 3 out, 9th of 17, well behind Abnaki (10-10) at Cheltenham 3m nov hcp hdl 0-125 (3) gs in Apr.
Minella Ranger (IRE) 11-1 (11-10) Held up in mid-division, took keen hold, effort 7th, weakened 3 out, tailed off, 8th of 9, well behind Romance Dance (11-5) at Newton Abbot 2m 6f hcp hdl 0-115 (4) sft in Sep.
Admiral Boom (IRE) 33-1 (11-0) Always towards rear, went poor 4th flat, never involved, 4th of 9, 36l behind Milansbar (10-9) at Folkestone 2m 6f mdn hdl (5) hvy in Dec.
Spanish Fork (IRE) 8-1 (11-5) Raced on inside, held up in last trio, dropped to last at 3rd, pushed along before 6th, headway to 4th approaching 3 out, ridden before next, soon weakened, 4th of 7, 25l behind Whipcrackaway (10-12) at Fontwell 2m 2f 3yo hdl (4) sft in Dec.
Comehomequietly (IRE) 28-1 (11-0) In touch on outside, led 3rd mistake 5th, mistake and headed next, soon lost place, weakened 5 out, tailed off, 11th of 15, well behind Ulck Du Lin (10-2) at Newbury 2m 1f hcp chs 0-145 (2) gs in Dec.
Leeroar (IRE) 20-1 (11-5) Tracked leaders, ridden 3 out, no extra before last, 4th of 11, 12l behind Whispering Gallery (11-5) at Leicester 2m nh nov hdl (4) sft.
Norisan 33-1 (11-4) Always in rear, never a factor, tailed off and pulled up before 2 out, in a race won by Boomtown (9-7) at Wincanton 2m 6f hcp hdl 0-100 (5) gs in Oct, 10 ran.
