in touch, mistake and in rear from 9th, tailed off
chased winner from 4th, closed up 8th, mistake 3 out, no extra from next
made all, clear from 6th, ridden and stayed on well from 2 out, drew clear flat
chased winner until mistake 4th, outpaced from 8th, stayed on again under pressure after 3 out, no danger
behind and outpaced from 8th
Extra Jack has won from a mark of 135 in the past and now races from 130. He is entitled to run well from his current rating but Ruby Walsh has opted to ride the stable's other runner, Ivanoph. His only British chase win to date came at Wincanton on good to soft in November (when rated 117, now on a mark of 122). Asparagus finished ahead of him over course and distance in November on good to soft, and Ivanoph is now 3lbs better off for the three-and-a-half lengths he was beaten then so it should be close between them. Abalvino remains consistent but, having won from a mark of 100, is finding life trickier from a rating of 118 and the bulk of his form has come on easy going. Abalvino is consistent and has won from his current mark of 120. If you take his run behind Bleu Superbe at Doncaster in January literally, then he has the beating of both Ivanoph and Asparagus. Carrick Troop is the only course and distance winner in the race, that win coming in this race last year from a mark of 107 (now 115, but has won from 116 subsequently). The downside to his chance is the fact that he was well beaten behind Abalvino at Doncaster. As the selection, and with trainer Paul Webber's team now in fine form, we opt for Abalvino, with Ivanoph rated the danger.
