14:00 Ludlow

Thursday 20 January 2022

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Heath Farm Meats Maiden Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 5m 14.80s

Ballaquane³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: J J Burke| T: O Sherwood

16/1

Promising second in a 7-runner bumper at Wetherby on debut 22 months ago. Shaped as if needing the run switched to hurdling at Uttoxeter on belated return and entitled to come on for that.

Form: 2/7

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Blackcauseway⁶¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies

3/1

€30,000 3-y-o, Robin Des Champs gelding. Half-brother to useful hurdler/smart chaser Wayward Prince and bumper winner Queens Boulevard. Dam 21f chase winner. Won sole start in Irish points (Nov 20).

Form: 1

El Diablo⁶⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Tabitha Worsley⁽³⁾| T: R Dickin

50/1

€8,000 3-y-o, £5,000 5-y-o, resold £15,000 5-y-o, Cloudings gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to smart hurdler/chaser (stayed 2½m) Mozoltov. Won sole start in points (Nov 14).

Form: 1

Hector Javilex^t1⁹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Kielan Woods| T: C E Longsdon

8/1

£32,000 4-y-o, Saddler Maker gelding. Closely related to a winner on Flat and half-brother to Frizzante Azeen. Placed on last 2 of 3 starts in Irish points. Wears tongue strap.

Form: 532

Hometown Hero³⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Bridget Andrews| T: D Skelton

15/2

Irish point winner at second attempt who shaped well when fourth in a 21f maiden at Warwick on NH debut 15 months ago. Given a considerate return at Uttoxeter 5 weeks ago and better expected now.

Form: P1/4-5

Landen Calling^t1³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

10/1

Modest hurdler. Had wind op before below-par fifth of 8 in novice at Leicester (20.5f) 36 days ago. Tongue strap goes on now with a bit to prove.

Form: 3740-55

Latitude⁸⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Mrs M Rowley

8/1

Point bumper winner who made a successful start under Rules in an Aintree bumper in May. Took strong hold and well beaten at Bangor 5 months on and may need more time now hurdling.

Form: 13-15

Marni Grey

Age: 8| Weight: 11-8| J: Charlie Price⁽³⁾| T: D Faulkner

200/1

Sulamani gelding. Dam, little impact in points, half-sister to 2 point winners. Best watched on belated bow.

Form:

Mumbo Jumbo²²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: Miss E C Lavelle| OR: 117

11/8

Runner-up in Newbury bumper a year ago and going the right way over hurdles, second in novice at Doncaster 3 weeks ago. Sets the standard.

Form: 2-P42

Sinister Minister^t¹⁶

Age: 7| Weight: 11-8| J: Sean Houlihan| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 100

100/1

Modest in bumpers and having left Nigel Twiston-Davies after a couple of hurdle runs, he ran no sort of race in a couple of handicaps for this yard.

Form: 46-4200

Stunsail^h²⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-8| J: Cillin Leonard⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss C Dyson

250/1

No solid form.

Form: 57-887

City Storm²⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-7| J: B Roberts⁽⁷⁾| T: D Loughnane

500/1

Well held in a trio of novice events at up to a mile on the level and showed nothing starting out over hurdles following a 16-month absence.

Form: 7

Forecasts

Mumbo Jumbo (11/8), Blackcauseway (3/1), Hometown Hero (15/2), Latitude (8/1), Hector Javilex (8/1), Landen Calling (10/1), Ballaquane (16/1), El Diablo (50/1), Sinister Minister (100/1), Marni Grey (200/1), Stunsail (250/1), City Storm (500/1)

HOMETOWN HERO caught the eye on his belated return at Uttoxeter 5 weeks ago and big improvement could be on the cards given his debut form. Mumbo Jumbo improved again when second at Doncaster and holds obvious claims, while point-winner Blackcauseway is an interesting debutant.