| Course: AINTREE | Race date:05/04/08 | Race time:1:45 | Runners:21 |
| Race distance:2m½f | Going:Good | Winners time:3m 58.50s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl King | Richard Johnson | P J Hobbs | 10-10 | 6 | 0 | 126 | 10/1 | 5.1 | 3.97 | 2.4 | 1.01 | 1 | ||
| Khachaturian | Jason Maguire | D McCain Jnr | 10-11 | 5 | 0 | 127 | 33/1 | 10 | 7.95 | 3.76 | 1.01 | 2 | 7 | |
| Heathcote | Philip Hide | G L Moore | 11-3 | 6 | 0 | 133 | 25/1 | 11.5 | 8.24 | 6.51 | 1.31 | 3 | 8 | |
| Serabad | Christian Williams | P Bowen | 11-0 | 4 | 0 | 136 | 16/1 | 5.92 | 5.02 | 3.41 | 1.2 | 4 | 1¼ | |
| Dishdasha | Dominic Elsworth | Mrs A M Thorpe | 10-8 | 6 | 0 | 124 | 66/1 | 26.59 | 19.24 | 7.5 | 1.22 | 5 | nk | |
| The Duke's Speech | Keith Mercer | Ferdy Murphy | 10-12 | 7 | 0 | 128 | 20/1 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 6 | 1 | |
| Bureaucrat | T J O´Brien | P J Hobbs | 11-0 | 6 | 0 | 130 | 80/1 | 36 | 23.07 | 3.17 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| Hide The Evidence | Jack Doyle | V R A Dartnall | 11-7 | 7 | 0 | 142 | 25/1 | 22.66 | 11.57 | 4.74 | 3.3 | 8 | ½ | |
| Oh Crick | Robert Thornton | A King | 10-13 | 5 | 0 | 129 | 5/1 | 3.2 | 2.75 | 2.52 | 1.16 | 9 | 3½ | |
| Take The Breeze | Sam Thomas | P F Nicholls | 10-8 | 5 | 0 | 124 | 33/1 | 8.2 | 7.14 | 4.05 | 2.1 | 10 | 4 | |
| Astarador | A Coleman | J Howard Johnson | 11-2 | 6 | 0 | 137 | 33/1 | 10.35 | 7.8 | 6.51 | 3 | 11 | nk | |
| Tarlac | P Carberry | N J Henderson | 11-1 | 7 | 0 | 131 | 20/1 | 9.86 | 6.1 | 3.61 | 4 | 12 | 19 | |
| European Dream | Paddy Aspell | R C Guest | 10-10 | 5 | 0 | 126 | 14/1 | 5.3 | 4.63 | 3.02 | 3.95 | 13 | 2¼ | |
| Ingratitude | Mick Fitzgerald | N J Henderson | 10-9 | 5 | 0 | 125 | 16/1 | 5.7 | 4.99 | 3.95 | 2 | 14 | 2¼ | |
| Pevensey | Dougie Costello | J J Quinn | 10-9 | 6 | 0 | 125 | 18/1 | 6 | 4.9 | 2.67 | 5.1 | 15 | 5 | |
| Kings Quay | Mr M Walford | J J Quinn | 11-0 | 6 | 0 | 137 | 28/1 | 10 | 7.72 | 3.17 | 3.1 | 16 | 16 | |
| Forthright | K Whelan | Daniel Mark Loughnane | 10-11 | 7 | 0 | 127 | 25/1 | 13 | 8.37 | 3.61 | 4 | 17 | 20 | |
| Mon Michel | Timmy Murphy | G L Moore | 10-10 | 5 | 0 | 126 | 8/1 | 3.61 | 2.85 | 2.16 | 2.32 | PU | ||
| Platin Grounds | P J Brennan | N A Twiston-Davies | 11-0 | 6 | 0 | 130 | 22/1 | 7.89 | 6.57 | 4.94 | 4 | PU | ||
| Song Of Songs | A P McCoy | J R Fanshawe | 10-13 | 6 | 0 | 129 | 7/2F | 2.85 | 2.03 | 1.82 | 1.89 | PU | ||
| Poquelin | R Walsh | P F Nicholls | 11-7 | 5 | 0 | 137 | 17/2 | 4.05 | 3.14 | 2.67 | 2.34 | UR |
Pearl King held up, headway approaching 3 out, led flat, driven out
Khachaturian led, ridden approaching 3 out, mistake last, soon headed and no extra
Heathcote held up, headway 6th, ridden approaching 2 out, soon weakened
Serabad chased leaders, mistake 5th, ridden after 3 out, weakened before last
Dishdasha held up, headway after 3 out, soon ridden, weakened last
The Duke´s Speech held up, headway approaching 3 out, not trouble leaders
Bureaucrat held up, headway 3 out, soon ridden, weakened approaching last
Hide The Evidence chased leaders, ridden after 3 out, weakened approaching last
Oh Crick held up in touch, mistake 5th, ridden approaching 3 out, mistake and weakened next
Take The Breeze held up, headway 6th, weakened 2 out
Astarador chased leader, ridden and weakened approaching 3 out
Tarlac held up, never dangerous
European Dream held up, mistake 4th, always in rear
Ingratitude held up, headway 3 out, soon ridden, weakened next
Pevensey ridden after 3rd, always in rear
Kings Quay held up, always in rear
Forthright held up in touch, weakened after 6th
Poquelin held up, mistake and unseated rider 3rd
Mon Michel mid-division, lost place 4th, behind from 6th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
Platin Grounds held up, some headway after 6th, weakened next, behind when pulled up and dismounted before 2 out
Song Of Songs mid-division, weakened 6th, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out
PEARL KING ended up a bit of an underachiever on the Flat, but he started evens favourite for the Wood Ditton on his debut, which tells you he has never been short of talent. Successful in three chases and two hurdles since switching codes, most of them on 'speed' tracks, and all of them on a sound surface, he had plenty going for him despite an absence of more than ten months since his last win at Stratford. He came with a good run up the inner to challenge the much more prominently ridden Khachaturian at the last, and then quickened clear on the run-in to win by a wide margin for a race of this nature. Races like the Scottish Champion Hurdle and the Swinton are on the agenda now, and he looks just the type for them.
Khachaturian finished a similar distance clear of the rest and deserves a lot of credit too, for he only won his first novice (a handicap) at the tenth attempt last month, and he was more of a stayer on the Flat, when he was trained in Ireland. He is on the upgrade.
Heathcote lacked the speed of the first two but did well to get the best of the battle for third. He is ideally suited by a much stiffer test and softer ground, as he showed when he won the Tote Gold Trophy last season.
Serabad, sixth in the Triumph and the only juvenile in the field, chased the pace from the start and finished a fair fourth despite a mistake halfway down the far side. Dishdasha, back on his preferred surface, made an effort from off the pace but couldnot sustain it.
The progressive novice Oh Crick ran much better than his finishing position suggests, racing prominently in the chasing group but making a shocking blunder at the middle flight down the back and another lesser one two out. He also got bumped about when the riderless Poquelin forced his way up the inner rounding the home turn.
Take The Breeze travelled very well again, but he has not got home in any of his races this season. It would be no surprise if he came back a different horse next term after a little tinkering.
Among the race's more obvious disappointments were Mon Michel, who looked just the type for it but was unaccountably beaten early down the back straight, and Song Of Songs, who had travelled well till his stamina ran out in the Coral Cup but this time was in big trouble leaving the back straight. Both were pulled up. (GD)
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