jumped well, waited with towards rear, smooth headway out wide tracking leaders 15th, 2nd 4 out, led going well 3 out, soon clear, very easily
held up towards rear, headway before 3 out, plugged on in 4th before 2 out
chased leaders, went 2nd after 3rd until 15th, chased leaders, mistake 4 out, weakened before next
towards rear, behind when mistake 10th, tailed off when went left 5 out, pulled up soon after
chased leader, led 3rd until bad mistake and headed 4 out, weakening when fell 2 out
led until 3rd, chased leaders, weakened before mistake 14th, hit 16th, pulled up before next
mid-division, headway into 2nd at 15th, led 4 out until before next, stayed on same pace, no chance with winner
mid-division, ridden and weakened before 15th, pulled up before 3 out
always towards rear, tailed off 5 out, pulled up soon after
pecked 1st, chased leaders on outside, weakened 17th, behind and pulled up before 3 out
mid-division, headway chasing leaders 10th, pushed along before 4 out, went modest 3rd before 3 out
A typically-competitive renewal. Colin Tizzard sent out Copperhead to win this last year and runs both top weight Darlac, who has found only one too good in his last two, and Sedgefield winner Carrick Roads. David Pipe has trained the winner twice in the last 10 years and is also double represented with the potentially well-treated What A Moment and the returning Hugo 'N Taz. Plantagenet has gone off the boil but Broadclyst looked to be on the way back at Exeter and Forgot To Ask is in decent form. Get On The Yager is a former winner of the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby and has placed in a Midlands Grand National but HES NO TROUBLE may be worth another try over a longer trip after wind surgery and a pipe-opener at Wetherby given he’s dropped to a fair mark
Darlac (FR) 15-2 (11-1) Chased leaders, not fluent 7th, ridden 4 out, not fluent and went 2nd 2 out, no impression on winner, stayed on, 2nd of 6, 1 3/4l behind Enrilo (11-1) at Exeter 3m (2) gs in Nov.
Realm Keeper (USA) 40-1 (11-4) Mid-division, headway 10th, went 2nd 15th, mistake next, lost 2nd 3 out, soon weakened, 7th of 11, dist behind Storm Control (11-6) at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp (3) gs in Nov.
Get On The Yager 11-4 (11-1) Chased leader, pushed along final circuit, reminders after 11th, led briefly when bumped next, ridden before 3 out, no chance with winner before next, 2nd of 5, 18l behind Final Nudge (11-0) at Market Rasen 3m hcp (3) sft in Feb.
Hes No Trouble (IRE) 5-1 (11-12) Midfield, towards rear 5th, ridden 5 out, modest headway 3 out, weakened before last, 5th of 11, 17 1/4l behind Minella For Me (11-7) at Wetherby 2m 3f hcp (3) sft in Oct.
Carrick Roads (IRE) 9-1 (11-12) Close up, led narrowly 5th, headed 7th, close up after 4 out, led before 3 out, headed last, strong run flat to lead close home, won at Sedgefield 3m 2f hcp (4) gs in Nov beating Classic Escape (11-9) by shd, 10 ran.
Plantagenet 28-1 (11-3) Held up towards rear, not fluent and pushed along 9th, not fluent next, tailed off 15th final bend, 13th of 18, 36 3/4l behind Jersey Bean (11-7) at Exeter 3m hcp (3) gs in Nov.
Forgot To Ask (IRE) 15-2 (11-7) Held up, went handy 3rd, slightly hampered and left disputing 2nd 4 out, 3/4 length down last, no impression flat, 2nd of 7, 4 3/4l behind Versatility (11-9) at Ludlow 3m 2f hcp (3) gd in Nov.
Broadclyst (IRE) 13-2 (11-5) Prominent, blundered badly 10th, headway to press leader 12th, close up when ridden before 3 out, led narrowly 2 out, headed before last, no extra flat, 3rd of 10, 2 3/4l behind Crossley Tender (10-10) at Exeter 3m hcp (3) sft in Nov.
Hugo 'n Taz 4-1 (10-10) Chased leaders, driven 4 out, no impression from next, 4th of 6, 31 1/4l behind Fortescue (10-11) at Exeter 3m hcp (3) sft in Mar.
Putdecashonthedash (IRE) 16-1 (11-4) Led narrowly, headed before 4th, mistake 6th, almost upsides 8th, not fluent 10th, lost ground quickly and ridden 12th, in rear 13th, pulled up before 14th, at Exeter 3m hcp (3) sft in Nov.
What A Moment (IRE) 7-1 (10-9) In rear, mistake 7th, ridden 13th, well behind from next, 6th of 11, dist behind Storm Control (11-6) at Cheltenham 3m 1f hcp (3) gs in Nov.
