Doccykins : forget about the cattle hold and just go for upper deck. You should be able to get a front row (25) with good legroom or exit row (30) with a huge (about 2 meters) legroom, during the 72 hours before the flight as they are sometimes unblocked during that time (just set a seat alert on ExpertFlyer) or at airport check-in if you arrive early (first come first served).