13:50 Ludlow

Wednesday 7 February 2024

All13:5014:2014:5015:2015:5016:2016:50

Racing To School Juvenile Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:50 | Winning time: 3m 58.35s

Royal Way³³

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: N F Houlihan| T: G & J Moore| OR: 111| CD

10/11

Fair Flat winner in France and made the most of a good opportunity to easily get off the mark at the third time of asking over hurdles in 4-runner juvenile at this C&D (heavy) last month. Looks capable of following up.

Form: 321

Albert Park^t³⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Bryan Carver| T: N J Hawke

150/1

Fairly useful form in pair of maidens on Flat but having been sold from Joseph Patrick O'Brien (16,000 gns) and gelded, went with no immediate encouragement sent hurdling after 7 months off at Taunton (16.5f, good to soft) recently. Best watched.

Form: 0

Fayasel⁹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: C Gethings| T: S Edmunds

100/1

Fair handicapper on Flat (stays 7f), won twice in 2023. Likely outsider sent hurdling for a new yard.

Form:

Glorious Lion^t¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Harry Derham

20/1

Fair maiden on the Flat for James Ferguson but made an inauspicious start over hurdles for his new yard after 4 months off at Chepstow (16f, heavy) 2 weeks ago, sent off second favourite but getting no further than the first. Folly to ignore.

Form: F

Ithaca's Arrow⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Ffrench-Davis⁽⁵⁾| T: D J S Ffrench Davis

11/2

Fairly useful on Flat (stays 1½m), recording creditable placed efforts in handicaps on his last 3 starts. Coped quite well with heavy ground when second of 7 starting out over hurdles at Sandown but failed by a long chalk to match that at Kempton subsequently.

Form: 25

Karakoy¹²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Liam Harrison| T: R L Llewellyn

20/1

Fair form on Flat, won minor event in 2023, but well held in handicaps last 2 starts. Sold from Harry & Roger Charlton 30,000 gns later in October and he's probably best watched first time up over hurdles.

Form:

Orchestra^p¹⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien| OR: 105| BF

3/1

Fairly useful handicapper on Flat for Ed Dunlop. Joined a top stable for his hurdle career and has made a promising start, finishing runner-up on both starts (albeit well beaten at Warwick just over 2 weeks ago). Headgear on for the first time in this sphere and should go well again.

Form: 22

Palio⁶⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Tom Cannon| T: A King

13/2

Fair maiden at up to 1½m on the Flat and translated that ability to hurdles when second at Huntingdon in November, no match for the very talented Burdett Road. Probably unable to cope with conditions in listed event at Aintree last time and now back at a realistic level.

Form: 2P

Savigny¹⁷²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Houlihan| T: M Hunt

150/1

Fair maiden on Flat, stays 10.5f. Sold cheaply from Henry de Bromhead (5,000 gns) in September and he's a likely outsider now embarking on a hurdling career.

Form:

Seahouses⁴²

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: Philip Armson⁽³⁾| T: F Brennan

125/1

Fairly useful but ungenuine maiden on Flat (stays 2m) for Ralph Beckett. Has finished tailed off on both starts over hurdles (Grade 2 latest) and looks set for another struggle.

Form: 55

St Just In Time⁵⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 11-0| J: James Davies| T: Sir M Todd

50/1

Fair maiden on Flat, didn't seem to get home over 11f on penultimate start which tempers enthusiasm somewhat now hurdling.

Form:

Non-Runners

Latin Verse²⁶

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: S Hosie J: Harry Reed

Swift Hawk³⁹

Weight: 11-7| Age: 4

T: P F Nicholls J: H Cobden

Sindri⁹²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 4

T: M Hunt J: Sean Houlihan

Forecasts

Royal Way (10/11), Swift Hawk (5/2), Orchestra (3/1), Ithaca's Arrow (11/2), Palio (13/2), Latin Verse (10/1), Glorious Lion (20/1), Karakoy (20/1), St Just In Time (50/1), Sindri (50/1), Fayasel (100/1), Seahouses (125/1), Albert Park (150/1), Savigny (150/1)

A few in with a squeak but having been a commanding winner over C&D last month, ROYAL WAY is selected to build on that and continue his fine start over hurdles. Swift Hawk left the impression that there's plenty more to come when accounting for Orchestra at Taunton last month, so he's put forward as the main danger, with Palio and Latin Verse (who won on his only previous start when trained by Syd Hosie) rounding off the shortlist.