12:45 Ludlow

Monday 10 January 2022

All12:4513:1513:4514:1514:4515:1515:45

Vobe Electrics Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 12:45 | Winning time: 3m 52.30s

Illico Des Places^h¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-4| J: David Noonan| T: T Symonds

13/2

Bolted up on sole start in France but proved too headstrong on Kempton British debut over Christmas, weakening quickly once headed. This race lacks depth but needs to settle better.

Form: 15

Appreciate^h1¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Kevin Jones⁽³⁾| T: M F Harris

80/1

Fair form at best on Flat for Tom Clover. 18/1, tailed off on Fontwell hurdle debut on Boxing Day. Hooded now. Can only watch.

Form: 6

Bryanwood¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Conor Ring⁽³⁾| T: B J Llewellyn

250/1

Fair maiden on Flat but showed very little in 2 hurdle runs last month.

Form: 99

Dragon's Fire¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Bannister| T: A M Hales

16/1

Fair Flat winner (proven only up to 1m) but offered little on Kempton hurdle debut a fortnight ago.

Form: 6

Dr T J Eckleburg²⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Aidan Coleman| T: O Murphy

8/11

Fairly useful Flat winner won made a promising start over hurdles when second at Newbury (2m, good to soft) 26 days ago. Good chance he can go one better with improvement on the cards.

Form: 2

Fight For It¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: R Patrick| T: J G M O'Shea

40/1

Fairly useful maiden on Flat for the Crisfords but didn't offer any short-term encouragement on his recent Kempton hurdle debut for new connections.

Form: 7

Imperial Sun^t⁸⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Craig Nichol| T: O Greenall & J Guerriero

20/1

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 1½m) for John & Thady Gosden. Bought for 50,000 gns in October ahead of this switch to hurdles. Interesting runner.

Form:

Kolisi¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Hammond| T: D Pipe

14/1

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 1¼m) for William Haggas but pulled up on both hurdle starts for his new yard. Still early days but he can only really be watched this time.

Form: PP

Mind Hunter^p¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Charlie Price⁽³⁾| T: B J Llewellyn

16/1

Fair form on Flat for Richard Hannon but ran to just a modest level in 2 hurdle runs last month. Plenty of improvement will be needed.

Form: 76

Angels Landing^p³⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 10-5| J: C J Todd⁽³⁾| T: Ian Williams| OR: 97

10/3

Fair Flat winner (at 11f) and placed on first 2 starts over hurdles. Found 17f on heavy ground at Aintree placing too much emphasis on stamina last time and this test more suitable.

Form: 32P

Forecasts

Dr T J Eckleburg (8/11), Angels Landing (10/3), Illico Des Places (13/2), Kolisi (14/1), Mind Hunter (16/1), Dragon's Fire (16/1), Imperial Sun (20/1), Fight For It (40/1), Appreciate (80/1), Bryanwood (250/1)

Question marks surround quite a few of these so it looks a good opportunuity for DR T J ECKLEBURG to build on the promise of his Newbury hurdle debut second. Imperial Sun achieved enough on the Flat to suggest he could make an impact in a race like this if taking to this new discipline so he's feared most ahead of Illico des Places, who needs to settle a lot better than he did at Kempton.