NEWBURY 15:00

All 21 ran. Fences: 21. Race Distance Adjustment: +39 yds

Time: 6m 36.4s Closing Sectional: (3.05f): 47.4s (97.6%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 129%, Betfair SP 103.5%

A renewal befitting the great history of this race, run at a good gallop throughout and testing stamina and jumping ability to the full, only 2 coping with that to the end, though they produced a stirring finish; in truth, the race lacked a little in quality, with none of these regularly competitive in open pattern company, while the top end of the handicap was dominated by Irish raiders, with 4 of the 5 with marks above 150 trained there, including the hot favourite, though it was another second-season chaser who came well clear with a winner transformed by a breathing operation, the pair left to dominate after the looming Remastered had departed 4 out.

CLOUDY GLEN (IRE) showed much improved form, a revelation after a breathing operation, that his jumping was largely good helping as well; in touch, travelled well, went prominent after fifth, went second seventh, hit fourteenth, led on bridle home turn, left clear 4 out, shaken up before 2 out, strongly pressed last, kept on well, though all out to hold on; he would seem an obvious candidate for the Grand National after this, his good record fresh suggesting a light campaign between now and then.

FIDDLERONTHEROOF (IRE) back up in trip, built on the promise of his return and proved better than ever, producing an effort that would put him on the fringes of Gold Cup class, races like the Cotswold and Denman realistic options after this; prominent, shaken up straight, hampered 4 out, went second next, close up when not fluent last, kept on well final 1f, just failed.

BRAHMA BULL (IRE) ran respectably, though flattered to a degree, plugging on into a place past plenty who had been rather more competitive; raced off the pace, labouring halfway, plenty to do seventeenth, kept on well straight, took third near finish.

ONTHEROPES (IRE) wasn't in the same form as last time, a bit flattered to finish where he did, just running past beaten horses late on; held up, jumped none too fluently, stayed on from early in straight, never a threat.

DEMACHINE (IRE) off since February, shaped quite a bit better than the bare result, possibly finding this too much of a test of stamina; in rear, headway after halfway, shaken up straight, held when mistake 3 out, weakened after; he's still lightly raced over fences and could well be of interest next time.

CLOTH CAP (IRE) with cheekpieces back on, made a bold bid to repeat last season's success in this race, but his exertions told in the closing stages, below form but better than the bare result might indicate, his mark 18 lb higher than it had been a year ago; close up, disputed lead third, went on fifth, headed straight, weakened 3 out.

FORTESCUE was below form, never involved in a much more competitive contest than usual; in touch, shaken up twelfth, labouring end of back straight.

FULL BACK (FR) was well held, though doing well to make any sort of move into contention after his error at the first; in rear, bad mistake first, headway back straight, weakened straight.

THE HOLLOW GINGE (IRE) couldn't repeat his good effort in this race last season, but he shaped a bit better than some of those that beat him, his effort telling in the closing stages; held up, headway halfway, chased leaders seventeenth, mistake 4 out, weakened, finished tired.

BRAVE EAGLE (IRE) found this way too competitive; jumped sketchily, labouring halfway, always behind.

MISTER MALARKY looks to have gone completely for the time being; ridden soon after start, close up when blundered second, lost place, never going well after, behind some way out.

REMASTERED under a good conditional for the first time for his handicap debut over fences, was running really well when he departed, half-lengthed by the winner 4 out, looking a big threat at that stage (trading around 3.0 in-running on Betfair); went with zest, led until fifth, remained prominent, going strongly in second when fell 4 out; he clearly has a good race in him off this mark.

ENRILO (FR) fell too far out to say where he would have finished, but he shaped with some encouragement and likely remains on a competitive mark; handy, travelled well, fell fourteenth.

ANNAMIX (FR) would have finished well held had he completed, taking a horrible-looking fall in the straight but, thankfully, getting up; waited with, shaken up seventeenth, held when fell heavily 3 out.

DANNY WHIZZBANG (IRE) in a change of headgear, ran no sort of race on his first outing since leaving Paul Nicholls, one of the first in trouble; held up, reminders fifth, blundered tenth, reminders, labouring back straight, tailed off when pulled up fifteenth.

ONE MORE FLEURIE (IRE) tried to race up with the pace but soon found the whole thing too much, beaten a long way from home; close up early, lost place after sixth, behind when blundered sixteenth, pulled up.

CANELO (IRE) never looked likely to get competitive; held up, pushed along fifteenth, left behind soon after, pulled up seventeenth.

COPPERHEAD was pulled up in this race for the second season running, though there was a lot more zest to his performance than there had been in 2020/21, still bang there - if not going quite so well as some others - when a bad mistake effectively ended his chance; disputed lead until fourth, remained prominent, mistake eleventh, upsides when bad mistake fifteenth, weakened soon after, pulled up 2 out; it wouldn't be a surprise, given the revival in his stable this season, to see him back in form before long.

POTTERMAN is generally reliable, but he found a race of this quality a bit too much, never really involved; in touch, effort sixteenth, left behind next, tailed off when pulled up 2 out.

KITTY'S LIGHT with a tongue strap on for the first time this season, ran no sort of race, his performance totally out of character; raced off the pace, soon off bridle, tailed off end of back straight, pulled up.

EKLAT DE RIRE (FR) had looked a top prospect when winning at Wexford and was sent off a short price on handicap debut, but his lack of experience found him out in very different circumstances; mid-field, mistake second, chased leaders back straight, mistake fourteenth, ridden after, weakening when hit sixteenth, eased after and soon pulled up, said by his rider to have lost his action; he remains likely to progress back in calmer waters.