| Course: AINTREE | Race date:04/04/08 | Race time:4:20 | Runners:14 |
| Race distance:2m½f | Going:Good | Winners time:3m 58.30s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierrot Lunaire | R Walsh | P F Nicholls | 10-8 | 4 | 0 | 137 | 5/1 | 2.2 | 2.03 | 1.81 | 1.01 | 1 | ||
| Blue Bajan | Tom Scudamore | Andrew Turnell | 11-0 | 6 | 0 | 128 | 7/1 | 3.35 | 2.71 | 2.14 | 1.01 | 2 | 14 | |
| Lazy Darren | Dominic Elsworth | C Grant | 10-8 | 4 | 0 | 125 | 50/1 | 24 | 16.76 | 11.5 | 1.01 | 3 | 6 | |
| Khyber Kim | Mick Fitzgerald | N J Henderson | 11-5 | 6 | 0 | 143 | 16/1 | 5.4 | 4.64 | 2.92 | 3.8 | 4 | 3¾ | |
| Gloucester | Dougie Costello | J J Quinn | 11-0 | 5 | 0 | 102 | 150/1 | 130 | 67.23 | 19 | 80 | 5 | 1¼ | |
| Greenbridge | Robert Thornton | A King | 11-0 | 6 | 0 | 140 | 5/1 | 2.58 | 2.12 | 1.92 | 1.26 | 6 | shd | |
| Salford City | Miss N Carberry | Gordon Elliott | 11-8 | 7 | 0 | 145 | 20/1 | 8 | 6.2 | 3.9 | 3 | 7 | hd | |
| Songe | Tom Siddall | C E Longsdon | 10-13 | 4 | 0 | 139 | 33/1 | 8 | 6.92 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 8 | 24 | |
| Frank Crow | Phil Kinsella | J S Goldie | 11-0 | 5 | 0 | 119 | 100/1 | 75 | 54.57 | 40 | 60 | 9 | 5 | |
| Alsadaa | Colin Bolger | Mrs L J Mongan | 11-3 | 5 | 0 | 139 | 33/1 | 16 | 11.56 | 5.7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | |
| Sir Arthur | Denis O´Regan | B Ellison | 11-0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100/1 | 65 | 45.08 | 15 | 44 | 11 | 37 | |
| Marsam | P Carberry | M G Quinlan | 11-3 | 5 | 0 | 125 | 50/1 | 20 | 13.89 | 5.7 | 4.1 | 12 | 33 | |
| Captain Cee Bee | A P McCoy | Edward P Harty | 11-8 | 7 | 0 | 146 | 5/4F | 1.44 | 1.38 | 1.2 | 1.3 | PU | ||
| Pigeon Island | P J Brennan | N A Twiston-Davies | 11-8 | 5 | 0 | 141 | 16/1 | 6.4 | 4.82 | 2.6 | 3.25 | F |
Pierrot Lunaire chased clear leaders, took closer order and mistake 5th, led after 3 out, clear last, driven out
Blue Bajan held up, headway approaching 3 out, not much room next, ridden to chase winner last, no impression
Lazy Darren held up, headway and mistake 6th, ridden approaching 2 out, weakened last
Khyber Kim held up, mistakes 1st and 4th, headway approaching 3 out, weakened after 2 out
Gloucester held up, ridden 6th, never nearer
Greenbridge held up, headway 5th, hit 3 out, ridden when went left and mistake 2 out, weakened last
Salford City chased clear leader until led 5th, headed after 3 out, weakened approaching last
Songe held up, headway 6th, weakened before next
Frank Crow held up, behind from 6th
Alsadaa mistake 1st, chased leaders, not fluent 2nd, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
Sir Arthur held up, behind from 6th
Marsam led and soon clear, mistake 3rd, headed 5th, weakened after next
Captain Cee Bee held up, headway 6th, weakened after 2 out, pulled up before last, broke blood vessel
Pigeon Island fell 1st
That was important as they went a ragged pace, with Marsam racing clear of usual front-runner Alsadaa and Salford City, who in turn were well clear of the pack. Not surprisingly, none of them figured in the finish, with Marsam swallowed up four out and the others toiling up the straight.
Pierrot Lunaire's Adonis Hurdle conquerorBinocular had given the form a boost here the previous day and the Paul Nicholls gelding wrapped up a fast-run race with a withering run from the top of the straight, having travelled as well as anything. Connections reported that Pierrot Lunaire is the match of Triumph Hurdle winner Celestial Halo at home and a speedier type. As such, and with him having raced exclusively on speed tracks in Britain, there has to be a worry about his Champion Hurdle hopes. Bookmakers go 16-1, which looks out of line against Binocular, who is just 7-1. What is evident is that there is a classy bunch of four-year-old 2m hurdlers coming through.
Pierrot Lunaire needs to find plenty more improvement to shape up on level terms with his elders next season, but he would havewon this off levels as it turned out, although the bare form makes it just a Grade 2 race. There is every reason to believe he can bridge the gap, as he has a progressive profile and thrives on a championship pace with the touch of class to be able to quicken off it.
Blue Bajan, a top 1m2f-1m4f handicapper on the Flat, was beaten nearly as far as he was in the Supreme, but arguably ran a much better race on the sounder surface. He jumped better than at Cheltenham, although he still clattered a couple. He crept through the pack into the home bend and never gave up the chase, seeing off the rest well enough. He looks as if a step up in trip might also help, but he is another progressive sort.
Khyber Kim has still to recapture the form of his debut win and he belted the first and fourth when in midfield as he was taken off his feet. The ground may have been drying out against him, but he is not turning out as good as had been envisaged after his problems.
Gloucester struggled for pace through the race but ran through tired rivals and his presence in the bunched finish for fourth suggests a lack of strength in depth. He is probably flattered by the bare form, which could be costly as his lowly rating could suffer.
Greenbridge looked a likely winner around the home bend as hetravelled well up to the lead, but he blundered three out and was again awkward at the next, which sealed his fate. He looks to have more scope than some of his rivals and can improve again next season after a summer on his back.
Salford City, off for154 days since two good runs in Graded races in Ireland, chased the furious pace and was last to break midway up the straight.
The Triumph looked to have left a mark on Songe, who failed to run to that form, weakening after a brief effort.
Captain Cee Bee travelled well but weakened disappointingly when put under pressure around the home turn and he was reported to have bled when he was pulled up after the second-last. [BJ]
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