Reporter: Simon Rowlands
A race that usually takes a useful performance, at the least, to win it, and that looks to have been the case this year, too, for all that Ginto had relatively little to beat among his four rivals. His overall time was only just fastest of the three 20f hurdle races and comes out behind the maiden winner Whatdeawant after weights carried are allowed for, both run in similar style, with a 107% finishing speed for this particular contest.
GINTO (h145 here, 117+ previously) put up one of the novice hurdle performances of the season so far, though these are early days, and should be a contender in even stronger company, tracking the pace and losing his place briefly before taking the race by the scruff of the neck 3 out, leading soon after that flight and staying on strongly to go clear, merely pushed out until near the line. He adjusted slightly right at a few flights but was professional in all other respects.
ERIC BLOODAXE (h133 here and previously) reproduced, rather than improved upon, the form of his ready Naas win on his only previous over hurdles, useful rather than better at this stage of his career, quite close up despite a couple of mistakes, unable to go with Ginto after 3 out but keeping on.
MR FRED ROGERS (h126 here and previously) looked a stayer in rallying for third, having been tapped for toe and lost his place 4 out. He is lightly raced still, and there should be better to come.
THE LITTLE YANK (h124 here, 130 previously) ran respectably but has been kept remarkably busy and is no longer quite at his best at present, held up in last and making only a little headway before his run petered out a bit late on.
EDISON KENT (h112 here, 125 previously) is up against it at this level and weakened after leading until after 3 out.
