Agree it was a very muddling race, and hard to make head or tail of. My big disappointment was Ashley Brook falling, partly as I love this horse but also as I'd forecasted him with Monet's Garden!
But I wasn't impressed with Kauto Star today either, he looked all out in the last few furlongs and was quite careless, flippant even at some of the jumps. It was a big weight; but I don't think he enjoyed the small field - it wasn't enough of a challenge for him perhaps? And they were too strung out for him too - he seems to like racing in a bunched field.
But it's hard to know what to make of Nicholls' mixed messages regarding whether the horse was fully fit. First he wasn't then suddenly he was... Well, it was fto for all of them so they had to race one another - they couldn't all just amble round behind a lot of race-fit horses, to blow away the cobwebs. Great shame the field cut up so.
Don't know what to make of ED either - he's not a horse I have any feeling for, at all. He can't be judged on that run anyway, given his fto record - on the other hand, AP was quite bullish before the race about his chances, so must be disappointed to trail in last.
Monet's Garden looked to me like he might want further this year as well as KS. Still and all, good to see him win: I really like the horse.
Denman and MWDS will be interesting, when they come out!