behind, ridden and headway over 2f out, chased winner and edged left inside final furlong, not quickened
prominent, ridden and every chance over 2f out, weakened inside final furlong
mid-division, headway over 3f out, ridden over 2f out, led final furlong, driven out
slowly into stride, behind, headway over 3f out, ridden over 2f out, one pace final furlong
in touch, lost place over 4f out, soon behind
slowly into stride, behind, ridden and headway over 1f out, stayed on, never nearer
with leader, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
led, ridden over 2f out, headed final furlong, no extra
towards rear, headway over 5f out, ridden over 2f out, soon weakened
Lord Melbourne catches the eye here of, possibly, Blonde En Blonde and Headland. The selection comes here in good heart, having followed up a Lingfield win over seven with a fair effort back at the same venue over a furlong-shorter trip. This course and distance winner is fully entitled to have his supporters. Blonde En Blonde bounced back to form in first-time blinkers at Lingfield last time and, running under a six-pound penalty, still looks reasonably well weighted if consenting to put her best foot forward again. Headland and Warlingham are both course and distance winners and they are, also, well weighted on their very best efforts. Of the two, Headland possibly holds the better chance. Our Chelsea Blue has been beaten from revised marks since wining at Lingfield in March, although the handicapper is now starting to relent. Scarratoo is well weighted on the best of his Turf form and has won on this surface. Of the others, it's a case of what you see is what you get, although Illustrious Duke is a course and distance winner and is another that is conceivably well-handicapped if getting back to the level of his early 2002 form. In the final analysis, though, we'll opt for Lord Melbourne to lord it over his rivals.
