Horse Racing

Ludlow Expert Eye: Course stats and tips for Thursday's meeting

Nigel RidgwayNigel Ridgway2 March 2022
A view of Ludlow racecourse

A view of Ludlow racecourse

Don't bet at Ludlow on Thursday before first giving our expert eye article a read - it might just help you turn a profit.

After much studying of the form, we have three outright picks along with some useful course stats, while the Planet Sport Live Centre is where you'll find the highly informative Ludlow race card.

Selections:

Wynn House (14.30 Ludlow)

Head To The Stars (15.00 Ludlow)

Technological (15.30 Ludlow)

Course characteristics

Right-handed. Chase course flat with sharp bends, circuit 1m4f. Hurdles track, 150yds longer, slightly undulating, with easier bends. Going rarely gets testing.

Top trainers with runners

Nicky Henderson has sent out 24 winners form 106 runners (23%) here over the past five season, albeit you'd have a made a loss of £31.25 to £1 level-stakes backing all his runners blind.
He has three chances on this afternoon's card: Barbados Blue (14.00), Go Chique (14.30) and Balkeo (15.30).
Dan Skelton has trained 24 winners here over the same period and is represented by Knickerbockerglory (13.30), No Getaway (15.00) and Not That Fuisse (16.00), while Henry Daly (20 winners from 102 runners, 20%) is solely represented by Head To The Stars.

Top jockeys with rides

Harry Skelton's 17 winners have come at a fair strike rate of 23% (73 rides) and he's on two of his brother's runners, with the exception of hunter chaser Not That Fuisse.
Paddy Brennan has also notched 17 winners (83 rides, 20%) and is 6-23 (26%) in the current season. He's here for one horse, the Fergal O'Brien-trained Karl Philippe in the 2m4f novices' limited handicap chase (14.00).

14.30 Ludlow - Wynn House

A decent turnout of eight for this 3m mares' handicap hurdle and they can all be given chances, but top weight Wynn House is fancied to make her class tell.
Alan King's mare was a decent staying novice, winning her first two starts over hurdles and including a race here over 2m5f, before finishing a highly respectable fourth in a Cheltenham Grade 2 over this trip against male horses.
She didn't take up her Albert Bartlett entry that season and signed off by finishing a staying on second in another 2m5f race at this track, with the concession of a stone to the winner Princess Eleanor proving beyond her on that occasion.
On her seasonal return this season, she looked to have done well for her summer break and justified strong market support to win a competitive class 2 handicap at Wincanton (2m5f) against her own sex, again giving the impression she was ready for a step up in trip.
Her most recent outing in December yielded a nearest-at-the-finish fourth in a class 2 at Cheltenham over an inadequate 2m4f won by Martello Sky from Indefatigable, and a repeat of that performance would almost certainly be good enough here.
What makes her really appealing though is her record fresh - form figures of 211 after long breaks - and the return to a right-handed track, which clearly suits, over a more suitable trip.

15.00 Ludlow - Head To The Stars

The feature handicap chase over 3m has attracted just five runners but it's competitive nonetheless and we should get a fair price on Henry Daly's Head To The Stars, who is the oldest in the field at 11.
But don't let that put you off as the veteran has looked back to his best in three outings this season and was a winner over this track and trip in December under today's pilot Harry Nugent, who is good value for his 3lb claim.
The selection clearly loves it here as he also won last year's renewal of this race, despite coming into it badly out of form (previous form figures of PPP), and his overall chase record at the track now reads 3-5, with the other two wins also coming at right-handed tracks.
Last seen out in January's Classic Chase at Warwick, in which he finished a respectable sixth of the 15 runners, he looks sure to run his race against four rivals, all of whom have something to prove over this trip.
None of Golden Whisky, No Getaway and Java Point are certain stayers, having been largely campaigned and done all their winning over shorter, while top weight Canelo has struggled on all four of his starts this term, albeit he's dropped in the weights as a result and stays all day.

15.30 Ludlow - Technological

Milton Harris is having a dream season with 43 winners and counting on the board, those coming at healthy strike rate of 21%, and with his flag-bearer Knight Salute heading to the Triumph Hurdle unbeaten in five starts after winning last weekend's Adonis Hurdle.
In his stablemate Technological, Harris as interesting novice to go to war with in handicaps and the seven-year-old may well strike at the first time of asking in this afternoon's 2m5f novices' handicap hurdle off what looks a very workable mark of 107.
A fairly useful stayer on the Flat for George Margarson and rated as high as 89 in that sphere, he ran a very respectable third on his first start for 519 days over 2m at Plumpton at the end of January, having filled the same spot on his hurdles debut at Newton Abbot.
With that run under his belt, he should strip far fitter and today's step up in trip could prove key in unlocking his potential over hurdles, given that he stayed 2m on the level.
His five rivals this afternoon are perhaps headed by recent Kempton winner Tigerten, although that was an exceptionally weak race for the track, while Nicky Henderson's Balkeo was beaten a long way into third behind Shallwehaveonemore at Sandown last month and has to concede the selection almost a stone.

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