SANDOWN PARK 15:40 3l3w4l

All 16 ran. Fences: 24. Race Distance Adjustment: +35 yds

Time: 7m 39s Closing Sectional: (2.75f): 43.7s (99.9%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 123%, Betfair SP 101.8%

Enrilo was subsequently demoted

Not the first controversial finish to this closing-day highlight, a demotion this year borne out of an incident far less subtle than the ones that had seen Cahervillahow and Givus A Buck placed second after ing the post first in the then-Whitbread sponsored editions in 1991 and 1993 respectively, though at least the strict rulings benefited the hampered horse on those occasions, whereas this time the strong-finishing Kitty's Light was the sufferer at the hands of wayward fellow novice Enrilo, meaning the unimpeded Potterman was handed the prize by dint of having happened to edge out the luckless Welsh raider for second past the post in the scramble that ensued, the broadside received clearly costing Kitty's Light the win and a subsequent inquiry predictably failing to right the 'wrong' given the staunch guidance on the matter; in some ways, a chaotic finish was fitting given the unusual shape for one of these big-field, long-distance handicaps, as atypically not many had been shaken off by the back straight and the first 8 were covered by under 10 lengths as close to home as 2 out.

ENRILO (FR) became the third novice in as many runnings to 'win' this big prize, in common with Talkischeap and Step Back before him making his first start over a marathon trip and looking a class apart of a field typically comprised of largely exposed rivals, though he proved so errant late on the stewards were left with little option other than to demote him, placed behind victim Kitty's Light to hand it to the untroubled Potterman; he tanked along tracking the pace, shrugged aside a splash at the second water jump to edge ahead 3 out and even hardly flinched following a worse mistake at the next, but he began to idle after moving 4 lengths clear after the last and, in what was to prove the race-deciding incident, hung badly left and cannoned into the fast-finishing Kitty's Light inside the final 50 yds, halting that one's irresistible-looking surge.

POTTERMAN gave his yard a second 'Whitbread' in the last 3 runnings, like Talkischeap upped in trip and returning fresh from a winter break, but he would have had to settle for only third but for the carnage that unfolded away from him late on, a thoroughly likeable stayer but an equally fortunate - indeed undeserving, if taking a step back from the stricly-enforced rules - big-race winner, never far away and having every chance as he stuck at it from 2 out.

KITTY'S LIGHT should have added a fifth win to his record of what has been a remarkable first season over fences, denied success by the waywardness of the favourite in the race and by the cut-and-dried nature of the rules in the subsequent inquiry, clearly the only sufferer in the late drama but undone by his failure to recover in time to regain second, Potterman instead the beneficiary despite the subsequent stewards' report featuring the line 'it was felt that Kitty's Light would have finished ahead of Enrilo'; he was asked his biggest question yet, but he went about it in trademark fashion, warming up gradually on the final circuit (only eleventh 4 out and sixth 2 out) before producing his trademark late surge, sure to have got up without the collision near the finish; he's so youthful by marathon handicap standards that he could be a fixture for another half-decade.

EL PRESENTE got back on the up trying this sort of trip for the first time, g off a productive season with a smart effort, ensuring novices finished in 3 of the first 4 positions; close up, typically jumped soundly, upsides when stumbled on landing twentieth, disputed lead until 3 out, rallied, held run-in.

CAP DU NORD (FR) wasted no time getting back on track returned to chasing, despite leaving the impresson by the end the extreme distance was just beyond him, another in this bringing a fine season to a close with another sound showing all the same; patiently ridden, not fluent fourteenth, smooth headway from 4 out, in touch straight, edged right run-in, no extra.

CROSSPARK typically gave his running but will do well to shake that Ascot albatross of having been outgunned late by Singlefarmpayment, this taking his losing run to 11; waited with, crept closer under circuit out, shaken up after 3 out, not quicken, stayed on again gradually run-in.

PLAN OF ATTACK (IRE) showed no obvious ill-effects of his Cheltenham spill but didn't get home upped to a long-distance chase, a rare low point for the yard in big British handicaps the last twice; close up when mistake first, tracked pace after, effort when mistake again 3 out, disputed third next, weakened.

LARRY clearly required a step up in trip after his return but this vast hike proved a bridge too far, shaping much better than first time back all the same, plenty of ability still intact; held up, badly hampered second, mistake ninth, crept closer thirteenth, effort out wide 3 out, weakening when slow next; he may well fall even further below his last winning mark now and is one to bear in mind again.

BOB MAHLER (IRE) confirmed his return to better form following another slide in the weights but remains a dubious betting proposition; reminders early, out wide, headway to lead briefly fourth, led again before thirteenth, headed when mistake nineteenth, driven before 3 out, left behind.

IRISH PROPHECY (IRE) presumably had something go amiss; settled mid-field, slow third, headway when mistakes fifteenth, sixteenth, effort again 4 out, driven before next, stopped quickly.

SUPREME ESCAPE (IRE) added to a patchy record; in rear, uncomfortable with pace, struggling some way out.

CHECKITOUT (IRE) made little appeal for a race like this but had little go right all the same; handy, lost place when hampered after second, snatched up again circuit out, left behind from 4 out.

DOING FINE (IRE) under less testing conditions, ran no sort of race; never going pace, labouring badly circuit out, bled.

GOLAN FORTUNE (IRE) clearly wasn't 100% on the day; led until second, lost place when awkward third, struggling quickly tenth, pulled up next, said to have suffered an irregular heartbeat.

SMOOTH STEPPER was woefully found out in better company back on firmer ground; struggled with pace in rear, labouring badly some way out.

THE YOUNG MASTER old enough to have had such as Dynaste and Saint Are behind him when winning this race in 2016 (also runner-up 3 years later), might have needed the run after 8 months off; close up when pecked first, edged ahead from next, headed briefly fourth, headed again before thirteenth, slow fifteenth, no response.