| Course: SANDOWN | Race date:24/02/06 | Race time:3:10 | Runners:7 |
| Race distance:3m½f | Going:Soft | Winners time:6m 47.20s |
| Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Stall | Weight | Age | RPR | OR | Odds | B High | B Ave | B Low | In run | Finished | Dist Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inca Trail | Mr J Snowden | P F Nicholls | 12-7 | 10 | 123 | 139 | 11/8 | 2.98 | 2.55 | 1.91 | 1.01 | 1 | ||
| Back Nine | Mr D Alers-Hankey | R H Alner | 11-7 | 9 | 109 | 120 | 11/10F | 2.82 | 2.13 | 1.92 | 1.5 | 2 | hd | |
| Mercato | Capt A Michael | J R Best | 11-12 | 10 | 103 | 98 | 12/1 | 19.5 | 14.77 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 15 | |
| Lord Kilpatrick | Capt T W C Edwards | Mrs H J Houghton | 11-3 | 12 | 91 | 0 | 20/1 | 40 | 29.92 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 3 | |
| Cedar Chief | Lt H Wallace | K Tork | 11-3 | 9 | 87 | 71 | 40/1 | 130 | 65.55 | 34 | 75 | 5 | 4 | |
| Double Account | Major Beverley Tunley | Gareth Cheshire | 11-7 | 11 | 91 | 0 | 25/1 | 60 | 46.54 | 11 | 15 | 6 | shd | |
| River Paradise | L/Bdr C Haigh | Jamie Broom | 11-3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 66/1 | 280 | 168.56 | 55 | 90 | 7 | dist |
It didn't really start to unfold properly until after the second-last, with the riders of INCA TRAIL and Back Nine content to bide their time behind Lord Kilpatrick, and it was only halfway up the run-in that Jamie Snowden at last gave the able but tricky Inca Trail the office. The ten-year-old responded well enough, although he wouldn't go more than half a length up. He needs producing as late as possible, and Snowden, who has a terrific record in this sort of race, had been told to keep taking a pull. The Grand Military Gold Cup is next on the agenda and Snowden did the double on stablemate Whitenzo last year. The winner is also entered for the Grand National with 10st 7lb, and he is 66-1 with Coral and VCbet.
Mercato, second in this race two years ago, stayed on for a respectable third after losing ground at the start, but he is not the force he was.
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