13:45 Ludlow
Wednesday 25 January 2017
All13:4514:1514:5015:2516:0016:30
Racing UK 'National Hunt' Maiden Hurdle
- 5YO plus  |  Class 4  |  1m 7f 169y  |  Soft (Good to Soft in places)  |  13 Runners  |  Turf  |   Weighed In
- Off time: 13:45Â Â |Â Â Winning time: 3m 49.95s
Cloth number
Odds
Horse A-Z
Show odds
Point-to-point winner last autumn who has steadily come to hand in bumpers, chasing home the smart Neon Light at Uttoxeter before opening his account at Huntingdon on Boxing Day. Obvious one for the short-list on hurdles bow.
Signs of promise when placed in a couple of bumpers last spring in testing conditions. Likely to be seen to better effect over further in time but has to be considered for bang-in-form top yard on hurdles debut.
Interesting debutant for leading yard, though trainer's strike-rate with hurdlers at this track isn't great. Market likely to prove the best guide.
Bits and pieces of promise in point-to-points in 2015 but not sighted in public for 647 days and hard to get too excited about on belated debut under Rules.
Won a maiden point-to-point in Ireland before chasing home the useful Capitaine in a Wincanton bumper last spring. Sings of promise until running out of steam in testing conditions at Exeter on hurdles debut recently but better expected here.
Glimpses of promise in two bumpers last summer, including on debut for present yard at Worcester. May make his mark in time but likely to find a few too good on his hurdles bow.
Struggled to make an impact in bumpers before faring even worse in three runs over hurdles, pulling up at 250/1 odds at Huntingdon latest. Impossible to fancy.
Signs of promise in two runs in bumpers but seems to have regressed since switching to hurdles, toiling from a long way out in the mud at Hereford last time. Clearly the yard's second string here, readily passed over.
Unfancied and ultimately well beaten when making a hurdles debut here in November but clear signs of ability. A half-brother to the smart chaser Our Mick, so surely much more to come in time, particularly over further.
Progressed to win a Sedgefield bumper on second start and confirmed that promise when finishing a close-up third behind multiple winner, Robinshill, in the mud at Ffos Las last month. Sets the standard on that form and is an obvious player.
Has shown very little in five starts to date, going off at triple-digit odds in the last three. Nothing to recommend him.
Point-to-point winner who showed signs of ability in bumpers during the summer, particularly when runner-up at Uttoxeter on penultimate start. Has an absence to overcome as he makes a hurdles debut, and likely to find a few too strong.
Sent off a 100/1 chance for her belated debut in a Warwick Bumper last month and ran accordingly, beaten out of sight. Easy to ignore.
Forecasts
Oxwich Bay (15/8), Ballymountain Boy (3/1), Minella For Me (3/1), Brave Eagle (11/2), Coudefoudre (25/1), Muilean Na Madog (25/1), Our Delboy (40/1), Otter Moon (50/1), Flans O Man (66/1), Betterlatethanneva (100/1), Whispering Nick (125/1), Orions Gold (200/1), She Told You So (200/1)
An interesting contest in which recent bumper winner Ballymountain Boy is sure to attract support on his hurdles debut. Point-to-point winner Minella For Me ran better than the bare result suggests on his hurdles bow at Exeter and looks sure to improve with a lesser emphasis on stamina, while any market confidence behind Nicky Henderson's Brave Eagle would be interesting. All that said, it's hard to get away from OXWICH BAY who looks sure to win races on the evidence of a promising hurdles bow behind the useful Robinshill on ground that was probably more testing than is ideal at Ffos Las.
1. Oxwich Bay
2. Minella For Me
3. Ballymountain Boy
Prize Money
1st: £3,249.002nd: £954.003rd: £477.004th: £238.00
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