Ahoy Senor is Nick Robson's best bet for Wednesday and he has a tip for every race at every meeting.
Nick Robson's selections:
DUNDALK: 4.30 Poet’s Pride, 5.00 Nightly Wailing, 5.30 Pure Nature, 6.00 Baton Rouge, 6.30 Meishar, 7.00 Gegenpressing, 7.30 Sister Lola, 8.00 Kinch.
HEXHAM: 2.10 Countister, 2.40 Casimir Du Clos, 3.10 AHOY SENOR (NAP), 3.40 Cash Again, 4.10 Misscarlet, 4.45 Prince Dundee, 5.20 Bearhill, 5.50 Thunder In Milan.
KEMPTON: 4.05 Stunt, 4.40 Mrs Benson, 5.10 Pinball Wizard, 5.45 There’s No Danger, 6.15 Swiss Time, 6.45 Final Fantasy, 7.15 Shouldering, 7.45 Shamaroon, 8.15 Au Clair Du Lune.
LUDLOW: 12.30 Ordered Lives, 1.00 Master Work, 1.30 Dobryn, 2.00 Ballymoy, 2.30 Barbados Blue, 3.00 Chives, 3.30 Chef D’Equipe.
SOUTHWELL: 1.15 Costly Diamond, 1.45 First Class Return, 2.20 Hob House, 2.50 No Risk Des Flos, 3.20 Soyouthinksoagain, 3.50 Dragon Bones, 4.20 Shady Character.
DOUBLE: Ahoy Senor and Dragon Bones.
Ahoy Senor looks a nice prospect for Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell and can defy a penalty at Hexham.
Only six go to post for the Touring Caravan Sites Always Available Novices’ Hurdle, but you could make a solid case for four of them.
However, none have stronger claims than the very lightly-raced Ahoy Senor, who could take some beating.
A point-to-point winner, he was second on his first start for Russell in a bumper but stepped up in trip on his hurdling debut, he made all the running and had little trouble in beating an odds-on shot from the Stuart Crawford yard.
He was sent off 16-1 that day so it will have been a nice surprise for connections to see him oblige so well, and going up in trip again to almost three miles should not stop him following up.
Ben Haslam and Richie McLernon have a healthy 15 per cent strike-rate when teaming up and they have sound prospects of improving that on the card.
The nine-year-old Cash Again has won his last two, with McLernon in the plate at Sedgefield on the first occasion, and he can bring up the hat-trick in the View Yarridge Heights Static Caravan Site Handicap Hurdle.
Haslam claimed 7lb off him over this course and distance last time out over fences and he is 4lb higher, so technically he faces a stiff task having only won by a head.
However, that was his first run following an 86-day break and he is returning to hurdles, where he is possibly still unexposed.
Earlier in the Download The Ne-Bet App Today Handicap Hurdle, McLernon will be wearing the famous JP McManus silks to ride Countister and she is certainly worth watching.
Since leaving Nicky Henderson, she has shown nothing in two starts, but Haslam has found the key to plenty of these old McManus horses who have seemingly lost their way.
At her best Countister was fifth to Laurina in the mares’ novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham in 2018 and on the back of a full year off, she was then third in the following season’s County Hurdle from a mark of 133. She runs here off 115.
Anything Harry Skelton rides for outside stables is worthy of note in the closing weeks of the season and Costly Diamond looks sure to go close in the biowavego.co.uk And Wave Goodbye To Pain Handicap Chase at Southwell.
Gary Hanmer’s seven-year-old has won her last two in the hands of 7lb conditional William Shanahan, but Skelton has been booked for the hat-trick bid.
She has been hit hard by the handicapper, but looks on a steep upward curve.
Skelton was booked by Olly Murphy for First Class Return last time out at this venue when he stepped up to three miles.
He fairly bolted in that day so it is no surprise the partnership remains intact as they try to defy a penalty in the Free Tips Daily On attheraces.com Handicap Chase.
Henderson had the very exciting Jonbon win in McManus’ colours at Newbury on Saturday in a bumper and they run a similar type in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
Hob House is by Walk In The Park, the sire of Douvan and Jonbon, but out of a half-sister to 2020 Champion Hurdle winner Epatante.
The Ian Williams-trained Dragon Bones caused a 40-1 shock when winning a Listed event on her hurdling debut at Doncaster.
There appeared to be no fluke about it, as she had also run well enough in a red-hot bumper at Market Rasen to suggest a mere 5lb penalty will not stop her winning again in the Sky Sports Racing Virgin 535 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.
Small fields are the order of the day at Ludlow as the ground quickens up, but that should not stop Ballymoy in the Boyne Cup.
He has some smart form to his name, but it has taken him a while to get the hang of fences.
David Menuisier’s Shouldering was a taking winner at Sandown on her second start and should be tough to beat in the Unibet New Instant Roulette Novice Stakes at Kempton.