held up in rear, headway 4 out, ridden and no impression from next
tracked leader, weakened quickly 4 out
towards rear, weakened halfway
held up towards rear, headway halfway, led approaching 2 out, headed last, no extra run in
towards rear, headway when mistake 5th pushed along 4 out, soon outpaced, kept on one pace from 2 out
held up in touch, blundered 1st, headway when mistake 4 out, led approaching 3 out, headed approaching 2 out, led again last, stayed on strongly
led, headed approaching 3 out, soon weakened
in touch until dropped rear 4th, weakened quickly and pulled up before next
tracked leaders, effort after 4 out, one pace next
An interesting juvenile event in which Howard Johnson seems to hold the key. Of his trio of runners, Rayshan looks the best and, accordingly, he gets the vote. Giuliani looked the type who might take to hurdling when winning over 12 furlongs on the Flat for Luca Cumani last season and, now with Howard Johnson, warrants plenty of respect on his hurdling bow. However, the trainer also runs former John Oxx inmate, Rayshan, winner of a 12-furlong Irish maiden and Group 3 placed last season. Jockey bookings suggest that he is the strongest of the three Johnson runners. Mister Arjays third behind King Revo last time reads well given the winner's good Haydock success at the weekend, while Humid Climate showed more than enough when second to Kentucky Blue (who was eight lengths behind King Revo at Haydock on Saturday) on his latest run to suggest he is up to winning a run-of-the-mill juvenile event. Acceleration has also shown some promise but appears to lack the very thing his name describes and a first-time visor is unlikely to instill enough of it for him to claim the winner's rug. Of the others, Taipo Prince seemingly stepped up on previous efforts when finishing third over course and distance last time out although the form is a little hard to evaluate, and Tetragon has won twice at up to 11 furlongs on the Flat, but hurdling efforts to date have been modest. In the final analysis, though, in a race in which four hold a Cheltenham entry - Rayshan, Acceleration, Humid Climate and Mister Arjays - Rayshan is the selection.
