15:25 Ludlow

Tuesday 20 December 2022

All12:1512:4513:1513:5014:2014:5015:25

Tanners Wines EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:25 | Winning time: 3m 49.9s

No Risk With Lou³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Kielan Woods| T: A M Hales| D

14/1

£12,000 3-y-o, £20,000 5-y-o, No Risk At All gelding. Dam 2½m hurdle winner, half-sister to 2¼m hurdle winner Happening. Off mark in points at fourth attempt and needed just one go to do likewise over hurdles, albeit he has left clear by a rival falling, at Southwell last month.

Form: 5P-F11

Pembroke²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| D

2/1

Impressed as he made a winning bumper debut at Huntingdon back in March, running a little green but still forging clear. All the better for opening hurdles experience when landing 8-runner novice at Wetherby a month ago and fancied to give it a very good go under a penalty.

Form: 2F1-71

Western Zephyr²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: J J Burke| T: C E Longsdon| CD

11/8

Easily won sole start in points, then made all in workmanlike fashion on bumper debut at Huntingdon in January. Found company too hot at Aintree in the spring but he looked a useful prospect when making winning hurdles bow over C&D a month ago, responding well. More to come.

Form: 110-1

Amrons Sage³⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: N de Boinville| T: N J Henderson

9/2

Half-brother to a point winner. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/very smart chaser (stayed 3¼m) Beware The Bear out of 2m hurdle winner Native Bid. Won sole start in Irish points (Mar 20) and having transferred to a top yard, he showed plenty when runner-up at Warwick last month.

Form: 1-2

Black Tonic^h³⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr James Jeavons⁽⁷⁾| T: T H Weston

250/1

Out of a winning hurdler but didn't show a great deal in a brace of bumpers.

Form: 94

Bubble Dubi³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds

15/2

Promising bumper performer showed ability when chasing home the useful Tahmuras at Chepstow on hurdling debut last month. Failed to build on that when down the field at Ascot 16 days later but remains one to be positive about.

Form: 343-25

Chairman Fitz³⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Ellis Collier⁽⁷⁾| T: H Dickin

300/1

€20,000 3-y-o, Califet gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to useful hurdler/smart chaser (stayed 3¾m) Fletchers Flyer. Third sole start in points but no impact in a bumper last month.

Form: 30

Kalibrate^h1⁵⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: James Best| T: M Keighley

300/1

Looks limited. Hood fitted.

Form: 0-4P

Little Pi¹²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: R Patrick| T: M Sheppard

300/1

Well held both starts.

Form: 90

Mount South²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: R T Dunne| T: Ian Williams

125/1

Fair form when reaching the frame on all 3 bumpers last season. Should have a future over jumps but left behind in a warm race last month.

Form: 334-7

Picks Lad³²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls| BF| D

20/1

Not bred to be much but overcame inexperience to make a winning bumper debut at Ayr (16f, good) in May, rallying to lead again dying strides. Sold out of Micky Hammond's yard for £60,000 later that month and displayed ability along with greenness sent hurdling at Chepstow.

Form: 13

Scarpered⁵⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Mr Nathan Brennan⁽⁷⁾| T: N J Henderson

150/1

€16,000 3-y-o, Getaway gelding. Dam unraced half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stayed 2¾m) Mister Hotelier. In top hands but no promise in bumpers 11 months apart.

Form: 0-7

Zero Tolerance²⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

40/1

Runner-up in a bumper and a point prior to a third-place finish starting out for new yard over hurdles here last month. Work to do with winner Western Zephyr.

Form: 28/P2-3

State Of Honor⁶⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Alan Johns| T: Tim Vaughan

150/1

Placed 4 times in Irish bumpers but not at that level switched to hurdling on final start for Ross O'Sullivan in October.

Form: 322-307

Trudiemadlydeeply³⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Charlie Price⁽³⁾| T: R L Llewellyn

300/1

Looks a long-term project.

Form: 9P

Non-Runners

Gaye Legacy³⁵

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: T Symonds J: Benjamin Poste

Forecasts

Western Zephyr (11/8), Pembroke (2/1), Amrons Sage (9/2), Bubble Dubi (15/2), No Risk With Lou (14/1), Picks Lad (20/1), Gaye Legacy (20/1), Zero Tolerance (40/1), Mount South (125/1), Scarpered (150/1), State Of Honor (150/1), Black Tonic (250/1), Trudiemadlydeeply (300/1), Little Pi (300/1), Kalibrate (300/1), Chairman Fitz (300/1)

Plenty of depth to this novice with WESTERN ZEPHYR just about the most persuasive option on the back of a striking winning hurdles debut over C&D a month ago. Amrons Sage gets 6 lb from the previous scorers and he looks the main danger, though Pembroke is promising in his own right.