FIRE AWAY, back over fences and with a visor refitted, replacing cheekpieces, was hampered by the faller at the last but that left him with only one serious rival, and he was game under pressure to just get there, backing up his win in this 12 months earlier off the same mark. His form figures under Adam Wedge now read 1211P11.
Given a fine , positive, front running ride from Adam Wedge, Clear The Runway won the 6th of his last 8 races. This time over fences off a career high handicap mark .
CLEAR THE RUNWAY, the winner of novice hurdles on his last two starts, had previously been progressive over fences. Reverting to chasing off a career-high mark, he travelled like the best horse, but he started to waver on the run-in and had little, if anything, in hand at the line. He has won six of his last eight races, which reflects tremendous credit on his trainer.
Clear The Runway , at odds of 2/13 made light work of winning his second race of the season, again over hurdles. A fine, controlled front running ride from Adam Wedge.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY had much the best form on offer and easily added to his recent Southwell win, making all and readily drawing clear approaching the second-last. This told us little new but he'll likely continue to go well.
Having won 3 chases already this year and gone up 30 lbs, Clear The Runway was switched back to hurdles and landed a comfortable, all the way success under Adam Wedge.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY had thrived over fences since landing a gamble at Musselburgh in February, adding two further wins at this track and rising a collective total of over 30lb in the weights. Therefore, this looked the perfect opportunity to break the duck over hurdles, and so it proved making every single yard of the running.
Stepping up to 3 miles, Percussion was given a patient ride by Adam Wedge. he cruised into contention down the back and won comfortably.
PERCUSSION was an emphatic winner over 2m4f here last time (in a first-time tongue-tie and cheekpieces combination) and he repeated the dose off a 9lb higher mark, and over an extra four furlongs. He was patiently handled by his rider, but could be called the winner as soon as he loomed into contention leaving the back straight. He'll be hit hard by the assessor after this easy win.
The fitting of a tongue tie and drop in class helped Seemingly So regain winning form under a confident ride from Adam Wedge.
SEEMINGLY SO had been nowhere near the level he achieved when winning at Musselburgh in two subsequent starts, but took well to the fitting of a tongue-tie, to go with the cheekpieces, and bounced back to form dropping to a Class 5 event. His profile shows it's highly unlikely he'll back this up, unless the tongue-tie continues to have a positive effect.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY took a grip but jumped with aplomb and won eased down having cruised clear in the straight, adding a second C&D success to his CV. He's taken well to fences with form figures now reading 12121 and he certainly looks capable of adding to that, especially if kept on the go.
PERCUSSION put up a career-best. With a tongue-tie and first-time cheekpieces, he travelled strongly and sauntered clear to score by a wide margin. The drop back to 2m4f clearly suited him and he may improve a little more.
FIRE AWAY hadn't shown his best on two starts over fences this spring after a break (up against it last time, when sporting first-time visor) but set the standard now back over hurdles and returned to novice company. A couple of untidy jumps in the straight didn't aid his cause but he kept finding enough to hold off the second. His lower hurdle mark could prove tempting before going back over fences.
Given a very positive ride from Adam Wedge, Clear The Runway easily compensated for his narrow Mussleburgh defeat last time out with a convincing success.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY won with plenty to spare and is unfortunate not to be unbeaten in three attempts over fences. A strong traveller and essentially a good jumper, he stays further and should continue on his upward curve.
Given a very confident, waiting ride by Adam Wedge, Champ Is Real cruised to victory at Mussleburgh, effectively 4lbs better off than his last win where he was 11 lbs out of the handicap.
CHAMP IS REAL won well on his debut over regulation fences over this C&D 10 days earlier from 11lb out of the handicap. The 6yo was wearing a first-time cheekpieces and tongue-tie headgear combination. He readily made the most of this fantastic follow-up opportunity from 4lb lower despite a 7lb penalty. His winning time was good, he had plenty in hand at the finish and the hat-trick seems within his capabilities.
LOUGHDERG ROCCO was returning from an 81-day break, dropping in class and trip. He found this test a tad too sharp but still had enough in hand to defeat his main form rival in ready enough fashion. The 6yo is an Irish point winner who should have even more to offer over regulation fences at some stage.
