16:15 Ludlow

Wednesday 24 February 2021

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

Swift's Wholesale Bakery Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 16:15 | Winning time: 6m 29.1s

Byzantium Lad³⁷⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Tom Buckley⁽⁵⁾| T: C E Longsdon| D

18/1

Yeats gelding. Closely related to fair chaser Stormy Milan, stays 3¼m, and half-brother to fairly useful hurdler Lisdoonvarna Lad, stays 3m. Point winner, unseated rider last time (Feb 2020).

Form: 66/641U-

Connard^t¹⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Charlie Price⁽⁵⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 115

20/1

Remains with one standout effort over fences when third at Gowran almost 2 years ago. Little show both starts last season and not much better in novice at Chepstow on debut for new stable.

Form: 736/6P-6

Minella Royale⁷⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-4| J: Brendan Powell| T: O Sherwood| D

7/2

Easy winner of an Irish point on debut in November 2018 and shaped as if retaining ability when an encouraging fifth in novice at Warwick on hurdling debut 76 days ago. Should improve from that.

Form: 1/5

Onchan³⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 120

4/7

Promising hurdler who was back on track when second in novice at this course last time and, with that form having been boosted by the winner, he's up to going one better with the longer trip no issue.

Form: 66-3P2

Ranieri¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: Adam Wedge| T: Miss R Curtis| OR: 114| D

6/1

Winning pointer who shaped encouragingly when third on Rules debut in Hereford novice (25.5f) but has failed to build on it, leaving him with something to prove.

Form: PP1-305

Ingeborg Zilling⁷³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-11| J: Sean Houlihan⁽³⁾| T: Sheila Lewis

33/1

£20,000 4-y-o, Mahler mare. Dam (h113) 17f hurdle winner, also 11.5f winner on Flat. Won point on debut in December. Stable not known for having winning Rules debutants.

Form: 1

Minim Mouse⁷⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-11| J: Ben Godfrey⁽⁵⁾| T: K Woollacott| D

25/1

Victory Note mare. Half-sister to a point winner. Dam unraced half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/high-class chaser (stayed 3¼m) Forget The Past. Multiple point winner, runner-up last time (Dec 12).

Form: 471/4P-2

Takeabid⁸⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Angus Cheleda⁽⁷⁾| T: K Woollacott

66/1

Jeremy mare. Half-sister to temperamental but fairly useful 21f hurdle winner Call Me Sid, stays 3m. Maiden pointer, placed last time (Dec 6).

Form: 5/P7P-F3

Forecasts

Onchan (4/7), Minella Royale (7/2), Ranieri (6/1), Byzantium Lad (18/1), Connard (20/1), Minim Mouse (25/1), Ingeborg Zilling (33/1), Takeabid (66/1)

ONCHAN had his course second last month boosted by the winner earlier in the week and he's an obvious selection to go one better despite the presence of some interesting recruits from points, the most notable of them being Minim Mouse. Minella Royale is entitled to build on his Rules debut, so he's another player.