13:20 Ludlow

Wednesday 24 February 2021

All13:2013:5514:3015:0515:4016:1516:45

Proper Good Dairy Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:20 | Winning time: 4m 4.10s

Blue Beirut³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: W T Kennedy| T: S-J Davies

300/1

Modest maiden at best on Flat and as expected didn't go with much encouragement sent hurdling over C&D last month.

Form: 8

Duke Of Earl

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: C Gethings| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

8/1

£62,000 3-y-o, Noroit gelding. Half-brother to French 19f hurdle winner Hannahel Sivola. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler (2m-19f winner) Quatre Heures. Newcomer from a respected stable.

Form:

Forever Des Long¹³

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 122

5/2

Disappointing on return in Hexham maiden hurdle having looked progressive last term. Took a step back in right direction in a jumpers bumper 13 days ago and hopefully he can kick on now back hurdling.

Form: 0032-85

Guns For Hire¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: Evan Williams

33/1

Well held in Irish bumper/both starts over hurdles.

Form: 05PF66

Havana Sunset²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Mr Ben Ffrench Davis⁽⁷⁾| T: G Harris

400/1

Modest 1m maiden on Flat who has stamina to prove now switching to hurdles.

Form:

Helovaplan^h³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: James Best| T: M Young

500/1

Fair on Flat but below best in that sphere in 2020 and showed nothing fitted with a hood on hurdling debut over C&D last month.

Form: 0

Method Madness^h1¹⁵⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Lee Edwards| T: A Ralph

25/1

Fair form in bumpers, improving when 7 lengths second of 9 in maiden event at Downpatrick on final outing in September. Hood now added for hurdle/stable debut and worth a market check.

Form: 52F-2

Obey The Rules⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Adrian Heskin| T: D McCain Jnr

80/1

Cost £20,000 after finishing runner-up on his second start in Irish points, but early evidence suggests he's a longer-term project under Rules.

Form: P-208

Olympic Conqueror³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-4| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland

6/4

Fairly useful up to 1½m on the Flat for James Fanshawe and made a perfectly satisfactory start over hurdles when third in a C&D novice 34 days ago. Open to improvement and solid contender.

Form: 3

Rod's Dream³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Ella Pickard

50/1

Third sole start in bumpers back in May 2017, but has made little impact in a pair of hurdle outings for new yard since returning to action.

Form: 3/97

Jaunty Freyja⁴⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: R T Dunne| T: B Eckley

10/3

Related to winners and has a laid a solid foundation in bumpers, reproducing her reappearance effort when second of 14 at Hereford (16.2f) 44 days ago. Type to win races over hurdles.

Form: 3-22

Well Briefed⁸⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-11| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: Sheila Lewis

50/1

€3,000 3-y-o, £15,000 5-y-o, Mahler mare. Sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser Bugsie Malone, and half-sister to fairly useful chaser Royal Tara. Point winner, made frame last time (Dec 6).

Form: 6-14

Ronde De Nuit⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-2| J: M G Nolan| T: P Hobbs & J White

16/1

Fair form on sole run on Flat in France. Showed a bit on Ascot hurdle debut but only eight of 9 in a similar event at this venue since. Still, it’s too soon to be writing him off.

Form: 58

Forecasts

Olympic Conqueror (6/4), Forever Des Long (5/2), Jaunty Freyja (10/3), Duke Of Earl (8/1), Ronde De Nuit (16/1), Method Madness (25/1), Guns For Hire (33/1), Rod's Dream (50/1), Well Briefed (50/1), Obey The Rules (80/1), Blue Beirut (300/1), Havana Sunset (400/1), Helovaplan (500/1)

The well-related JAUNTY FREYJA has laid a solid foundation in bumpers with a trio of placed efforts so she very much appeals as the type to win races over hurdles. Olympic Conqueror made a solid start to his hurdling career when third over C&D last month and is open to improvement, while Duke of Earl is a respected newcomer from a top yard.