slowly into stride, towards rear, ridden and headway over 1f out, stayed on final furlong, nearest finish
chased leaders, headway to lead 2f out, edged right, clear approaching final furlong
towards rear, effort halfway, weakened over 2f out
tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, one pace approaching final furlong
led 5f out, ridden and headed 2f out, kept on one pace final furlong
close up, ridden and every chance 2f out, weakened and eased final furlong
slowly into stride, towards rear and soon ridden, headway halfway, weakened approaching final furlong
slowly into stride, outpaced and behind, kept on over 1f out, not trouble leaders
led, headed 5f out, ridden and every chance 2f out, weakened over 1f out
Not too many of these can be given a realistic chance of winning what is a poor contest even by all-weather standards. Its Ecco Boy is best in at the weights judged by official BHB ratings and, while Karl Burke's gelding has experience of the Fibresand having raced at Wolverhampton, lack of a previous start here coupled with an absence of four months is a concern. Dean Ivory's Mi Sombrero has shown enough recently to suggest that she can take a hand in this company, as has Crusoe who found just Red Delirium too good over a mile here last week. Paul Cole has been fairly quiet on the sand this winter but his runners always warrant respect although Eyes Wide Open needs to improve on recent form to figure in the finish. The one they all have to beat is Pants. Andrew Reid's filly has been running creditably in defeat of late, most recently when two lengths behind Vortex in a Lingfield maiden last month. Previous form suggests she handles this track equally as well and, with her stable in better form now, the daughter of Pivotal looks capable of claiming an overdue first success.
