in touch, ridden 3f out, weakened over 2f out
tracked leader, ridden over 2f, no extra well inside final furlong
in touch, ridden over 4f out, switched right over 1f out, ran on to lead well inside final furlong
tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, stayed on final furlong
led, ridden over 2f out, headed inside final furlong, soon weakened
held up mid-disivion, ridden and headway over 3f out, led briefly inside final furlong, kept on
slow away, pushed along in rear, ridden and headway over 3f out, never troubled leaders
held up behind, headway over 3f out, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out
pushed along towards rear, ridden over 4f out, soon weakened
held up, ridden over 3f out, weakened over 1f out
towards rear, ridden over 3f out, soon weakened
in touch, ridden over 3f out, kept on same pace, no impresison final furlong
tracked leaders, ridden 3f out, weakened final 2f
A tough opener for punters, where City Palace just gets the vote, with Thyolo and Whispered Promises others for serious consideration. The selection is one of the least exposed in the field, having had just two starts and winning a soft ground Warwick contest last time. With cut here he can again go well as he will relish the step up in trip and as he has the potential to go a fair bit further in the game then he is a tentative choice off a low weight. Thyolo was second in the Portland Lodge Handicap at Newmarket last time and has to concede 12lb to the selection. Even so, Clive Cox rates his charge highly and he still looks capable of going well off a mark of 90. However, he is unproven on the ground and is just overlooked here. The same can be said of Whispered Promises.He is Mark Johnston's first string on jockey bookings and he should take the step up in trip in his stride. He comes here fresh and is a potential improver, so take a look at the market for any stable confidence. Of the others, Bayhirr is another who can improve and looks fairly treated after a Leicester maiden win last time, while Hello It's Me needs to settle better to get involved and Top Spec looks no more than fairly treated for his handicap bow, so we are happy to stick with City Palace to get us off to a good start.