16:40 Ludlow

Wednesday 21 February 2024

All13:5514:2514:5515:3016:0516:4017:15

Farm & Garden Machinery Novices' Handicap Chase

Off time: 16:40 | Winning time: 4m 37.59s

Mister Marbles^p1³⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 12-0| J: G Sheehan| T: Evan Williams| OR: 100| D

5/1

Made all in a Taunton maiden hurdle in March 2022. Just 4 starts since and hasn't taken to chasing. Headgear tried.

Form: 213/3-UP

Famoso¹⁴

Age: 8| Weight: 11-12| J: Thomas Bellamy| T: M Sheppard| OR: 98| BF| CD

4/1

Back to winning ways at Hereford in January and shaped well when third here a fortnight ago. Generally going the right way as a chaser, so worth chancing to add to his productive campaign.

Form: 512313

Guillaume^t⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Theo Gillard| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 95| D

7/1

2/1, career best when winning 6-runner handicap chase at Catterick (15.7f, soft) 55 days ago, doing better under change of tactics. Not fully exposed, particularly as a chaser, so could do better still.

Form: 943-441

Icarat²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-1| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 87

7/1

Fair form in French bumpers for Nick Littmoden but yet to make a significant impact over obstacles. Behind when unseating 2 out in a handicap at Ffos Las on chasing bow.

Form: 7P4-68U

Lustleigh⁴⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: P Gundry| OR: 86

20/1

Failed to progress from his promising debut for Dan Skelton in either start a year apart and no encouragement as yet for current yard.

Form: F34/0P

Gorcombe Moonshine^p³⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 10-7| J: Harry Kimber⁽³⁾| T: R Walford| OR: 79

3/1

10/3, career best when winning 7-runner handicap at Fontwell (soft) on debut over fences in December. Backed it up with a respectable third at Plumpton and is expected to feature in this thin race.

Form: 6633-13

Thatza Dazzler^h²⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 10-5| J: C Brace| T: D Brace| OR: 77

20/1

Didn't show much in a couple of bumpers for Fergal O'Brien last term and a similar story for new yard, well held when unseating 3 out on chase debut 3 weeks ago.

Form: 5-9PP6U

Beannaigh Do¹⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: Brendan Powell| T: Sheila Lewis| OR: 72

22/1

Offered more when second on Ffos Las chase debut last spring but has disappointingly failed to build on that, only fifth of 6 in a first-time tongue strap over C&D 14 days ago. Hard to make a case for.

Form: P605P5

Key Factor⁴⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-2| J: James Davies| T: Henry Oliver| OR: 69

8/1

Third in a point but has seemed limited to date under Rules (well backed last time).

Form: 747-46P

Dancing Dani^p,t⁷⁷

Age: 9| Weight: 10-2| J: Shane Quinlan⁽³⁾| T: Mrs N S Evans| OR: 68

33/1

Maiden under Rules and recent efforts make her hard to fancy from out of the weights.

Form: 704966

Non-Runners

Tropical Talent⁶⁰

Weight: 10-9| Age: 5

T: O Greenall & J Guerriero J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Gorcombe Moonshine (3/1), Famoso (4/1), Mister Marbles (5/1), Guillaume (7/1), Tropical Talent (7/1), Icarat (7/1), Key Factor (8/1), Thatza Dazzler (20/1), Lustleigh (20/1), Beannaigh Do (22/1), Dancing Dani (33/1)

FAMOSO has a solid, upwardly-mobile profile over fences and would likely have gone close but for a late error here last time, so he takes marginal preference over Guillaume, who arrives on the back of a comfortable success at Catterick. Gorcombe Moonshine is also considered.