Cash and New gets the vote over Sonnengold in what on paper looks a two horse race, with only Another Conquest of the others likely to make a small impression. This has cut up badly, with just five declared, and on all known form it rests between the top two in the list. Cash And Gold has quickly made her mark over timber, gaining a fairly hard-fought success at Newcastle over three miles last month. By Supreme Leader out of a Deep Run mare, she has bags of stamina and that will stand her in good stead on the testing ground today. She carries a penalty, but so too does Sonnengold, a winner on soft ground on the Flat in Germany. She came good at just the second time of asking at Lingfield 11 days ago, and although a progressive type herself, her ability to last out today's trip is open to question. Another Conquest has already embarked on a chasing career and has her first outing since last April so is best watched, and so we return to Cash And New as the answer.
Cash And New (IRE) 4-6fav (11-6) Towards rear, headway halfway, led approaching 3 out, headed before next, rallied to lead run-in, kept on, won at Newcastle 3m nov hdl (3) sft in Jan beating Pride of Finewood (11-13) by 2 1/2l, 10 ran.
Sonnengold (GER) 5-1 (11-2) Held up in mid-division, headway from 4th, chased leaders 3 out, led soon after 2 out, drew well clear before last, stayed on well, won at Lingfield 2m mrs nov hdl (4) hvy in Feb beating Koral Bay (10-9) by 7l, 14 ran.
Another Conquest 11-2 (10-12) Chased leader, led briefly after 6th, clear leader 7th, ridden 16th, headed approaching 2 out, weakened last, 4th of 8, 11l behind He's The Biz (10-5) at N Abbot 3m 2f nov hcp chs 0-105 (E) gd in Apr.
Nearly A Bay Nearly A Hand mare, half-sister to fair 2m hurdler/chaser Miami Splash.
Salliemak 20-1 (10-3) Towards rear, reminders after 9th, weakened approaching 10th, tailed off when pulled up at the 11th in race won by Roman Court (11-2) at Southwell 2m 4f nov hcp chs 0-100 (4) gd in Jan, 13 ran.
