Ludlow Racecourse Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 13:20 | Winning time: 3m 45.9s

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Selected odds by:

Caliente^h1,t1⁴²⁰

Age: 7| Weight: 11-0| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Mrs M RowleyWS

40/1

£16,000 Shirocco gelding. Half-brother to bumper winner/fairly useful hurdler Bonne Fee. Winning pointer, pulled up last time (Mar 2020). Has since had a breathing operation. Wears tongue tie.

Form: 32U34P/

Endean⁶³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Ben Jones⁽³⁾| T: D Burchell

200/1

Modest form standout effort on Flat. Sold from William Muir for just £800 so makes little appeal.

Form:

Flat Stone²⁹⁷

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

5/1

Fair maiden on Flat, stays 1¾m, improved on handicap debut last time. Has since had a breathing operation and well worth considering on hurdle debut having joined top yard.

Form:

Global Effect¹⁹²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: T R GeorgeWS

33/1

Fetched €60,000 as a 3-y-o, but beat only one home on sole bumper start and took a tired fall on Stratford hurdling debut when last seen in October. Has since had a wind operation.

Form: 9F-

Olympic Conqueror^p²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Charlie Hammond| T: Dr R D P Newland| OR: 118| D

5/4

Fairly useful 1½m winner on Flat who made it third time lucky over hurdles in first-time cheekpieces at Fakenham in March. Failed to repeat that effort at Huntingdon but still sets the standard.

Form: 3313-

The Wrekin¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: T J O'Brien| T: H D Daly

13/2

Won sole start in points. Disappointing in a pair of bumpers but showed more sent hurdling when second in a C&D novice 18 days ago, running on. Should do better

Form: 1502-

Byzantine Empire^t⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-8| J: P J Brennan| T: F O'Brien

9/4

Fairly useful maiden on Flat (stays 1¼m) for John Gosden. Tongue tied and caught the eye under a sympathetic ride on hurdling debut at Newbury 43 days ago and is open to plenty of improvement.

Form: 5-

Forecasts

Olympic Conqueror (5/4), Byzantine Empire (9/4), Flat Stone (5/1), The Wrekin (13/2), Global Effect (33/1), Caliente (40/1), Endean (200/1)

OLYMPIC CONQUEROR was let down by his jumping at Huntingdon last time, but he still sets the standard on his previous form so has to be considered the one to beat. Byzantine Empire caught the eye under a considerate ride at Newbury and could improve quite a lot.