Expert Analysis

Just the four runners for this Grade 2, and the winner is at the lower end of the scale of recent winners (though not if her sex allowance is added back on). Conditions were testing – between “soft” and “heavy” on times – the gallop was sound in the circumstances (101.3% finishing speed from 3 out), and there is a possibility that the form should be rated somewhat higher. The final fence was omitted due to false ground.

GALIA DES LITEAUX (c145 here and previously) left her disastrous Kempton Boxing Day foray behind, when a couple of early blunders were possibly caused by the low sun, and confirmed that she is very useful, leading/disputing and jumping a shade right at times but soundly overall, asserting on the home turn and ridden out. She may do better still and is not far behind the best staying novice chasers once her sex allowance is taken into account.

COMPLETE UNKNOWN (c134 here, 140 previously) was probably a bit below form but is not necessarily up to beating the winner on these terms at this stage anyway, disputing early then settling into second, but gradually put under pressure by the winner’s jumping (made mistake himself at the 11th) and clearly second-best from the home turn. This was just his second run over larger obstacles and there could still be better to come.

THE GOFFER (c117 here, 142 previously) is in the second (or even third) tier among Irish novice chasers, but it was disappointing he failed to do better, in touch and making a mistake at the 11th, readily outpaced in the closing stages.

GENTLEMAN AT ARMS (c91 here, 131 previously) made an early mistake and was soon trailing, running poorly for all that he had his work cut out in this company.