13:25 Ludlow

Thursday 22 October 2020

All13:2514:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5317:25

Quality Over Quantity Tipster Platform tipstersempire.co.uk Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:25 | Winning time: 3m 39.90s

Grey Spirit^t³⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 11-10| J: Lewis Stones⁽⁷⁾| T: O Murphy| OR: 128| D

11/4

Fairly useful on Flat for Sir Mark Prescott and getting his act together over hurdles fitted with a tongue tie, winning brace of novice events in recent weeks. Double penalty, but a conditional is on.

Form: 6311

African Dance²⁵¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: H Cobden| T: O Murphy

9/1

Half-brother to 3 winners, including bumper winner/fairly useful hurdler Encore Champs. Promising start when third in Fakenham bumper in February and in good hands ahead of hurdles bow.

Form: 3-

Ajero^t1²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

3/1

Half-brother to numerous winners, including very smart chaser Charbel. Shaped well when third in a decent-looking Thurles bumper and found only one too good on hurdles bow 3 weeks ago. Tongue tied.

Form: 3-2

Champagne Power^t³¹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price

300/1

Tongue tied and pulled up in novice hurdle at Warwick (21f, good) on debut 31 days ago. Down in trip and needs to show lot more.

Form: 2P/P

Guildhall¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Henry Brooke| T: D McCain Jnr

22/1

Fair Flat winner who shaped well sent hurdling in Musselburgh juvenile in December. Fit from the Flat but wasn't particularly strong at the finish when fifth at Sedgefield a fortnight ago.

Form: 4-5

Jaunty Viking²³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: T J O'Brien| T: B Eckley

66/1

Failed to beat a rival both bumpers starts last spring. Bit more like it over hurdles to end the season but he looks a handicap project.

Form: 4/035-

Jovial Spirit²⁵⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: D A Jacob| T: B Pauling

100/1

£46,000 buy having been third in an Irish point but he looked limited in a couple of bumpers last term.

Form: 308-

Mandalayan^p1²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Jack Tudor⁽⁵⁾| T: W Greatrex| OR: 113

18/1

Fairly useful on Flat and in this sphere, but he's not the most reliable overall and arrives on the back of a brace of pulled-up efforts. First-time cheekpieces reached for.

Form: 4425-PP

Mayne⁴⁰⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Philip Armson⁽¹⁰⁾| T: J & A O'Neill

18/1

Dam closely related to moody but smart hurdler/chaser Sadler's Risk. Fairly useful maiden on Flat, stays 10.5f, runner-up last 2 starts. Has left Andrew Balding and joined another good yard.

Form:

On The Platform²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Lee Edwards| T: J Groucott

80/1

Dam unraced half-sister to unreliable but useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 31f) Storm Damage. Unseated rider sole start in points but displayed ability amidst greenness when third in a Bangor bumper.

Form: U-3

San Agustin²²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr Tommie M O'Brien⁽³⁾| T: T Lacey

28/1

Modest form in 2 bumpers this summer and similar form over hurdles under a kind rider last month.

Form: 3-544

Whitlock⁷³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

15/8

Useful on Flat, stays 1¼m, creditable second on final start in 2018. Sold from John Gosden 200,000 gns and must have had an issue or two, but he's a classy recruit.

Form:

Jenny Ren²⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 10-5| J: David Noonan| T: Sarah Hollinshead

250/1

Modest winner on the Flat and looks a long-term project over hurdles.

Form: 67

Non-Runners

Clondaw Tonic⁹

Weight: 10-12| Age: 6

T: M Young J: Mr Huw Edwards

Forecasts

Whitlock (15/8), Grey Spirit (11/4), Ajero (3/1), African Dance (9/1), Mayne (18/1), Mandalayan (18/1), Guildhall (22/1), San Agustin (28/1), Jaunty Viking (66/1), On The Platform (80/1), Jovial Spirit (100/1), Clondaw Tonic (100/1), Jenny Ren (250/1), Champagne Power (300/1)

AJERO is a half-brother to Charbel, a very smart chaser for these connections, and having shaped with promise both starts 7 months apart, he rates a good prospect in his own right. Tongue tied for the first time, he is marginally preferred to Grey Spirit, who has a double penalty to contend with, for all a good-value conditional takes off 7 lb. Whitlock needs a close look in the market.