A red-hot handicap hurdle, as it ought to have been, and the strong gallop set by Admiral and Fait le Jojo contributed to a time around nine seconds quicker than the two earlier races over the same trip. The finish was dominated by two outsiders,the market leaders were all in trouble a long way out, with Not Left Yet shaping as if he needs further after being held up in rear and having no chance two out, the well-treated Afrad, who reportedly doesn't enjoy being crowded, being in troubleat the end of the back straight after being kept wide and shown plenty of daylight, Briareus, for whom the ground was too soft after nearly 4mm of overnight rain, also struggling from three out, and Verasi, bidding for a hat-trick of course and distance wins, struggling from halfway off a much stiffer mark.

DESERT AIR, who came from well back to finish fourth here a year ago, was kept much closer to the pace this time and appreciated the strong gallop. In front before two out, he soon had the race in the bag and was around five lengths clear at the last. Although Nathos was closing up the run-in, he was never going to get there.

Nathos did remarkably well to finish second, for he had an enormous amount of ground to make up when jumping the last down the back with only one behind him. His rider's 10lb claim was a big help up once again but he ideally wants further, as he showed when second at Lingfield the previous week, an improved effort which left him 3lb well-in here.

Chief Yeoman, raised 5lb for his recent Wincanton second, was still nicely treated on his Triumph Hurdle second of 2004 and made eyecatching headway to get into contention going to the second last. His effort flattened out, and this looked too stiff a stamina for him, but he will remain interesting for a similar race on better ground or a flatter track.

Cherub, fifth to Verasi here in the William Hill Hurdle, ran respectably and simply looks just too high in the handicap now after being raised 6lb.

Borora hasn't quite the speed for a race like this but stayed on to be a decent sixth, ahead of front-runner Fait le Jojo, the ante-post favourite Afrad, and Arrayou, who stayed on from an unpromising position into the straight. Self Defense usually runs well here and his stiff weight was eased by his rider's 10lb claim. He was below form this time. So too was Miss Academy, who had been off the track nearly nine months, although connections reckon she wants better ground.

*The vet reported that Afrad was lame behind.

*Jimmy McCarthy reported that Briareus was unsuited by the ground.

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