14:45 Ludlow

Wednesday 22 December 2021

All12:1512:4513:1513:4514:1514:4515:15

Tanners Prosecco 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 14:46 | Winning time: 3m 50.28s

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Selected odds by:

Balco Coastal^h¹⁷

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

1/4

Wide-margin winner of an AW bumper on Rules debut and, fitted with a first-time hood, he did the job in good style on recent hurdles bow at Huntingdon (15.8f). Potentially useful novice in the making.

Form: 217-1

Iontach Cheval³⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Nick Scholfield| T: A Ralph| D

11/2

Much improved when making it third time lucky in bumpers at Bangor in April. Followed up on return/hurdles debut at Uttoxeter (15.8f) and while this looks tougher, he's open to improvement.

Form: 601-1

Clear On Top^t¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: J J Burke| T: T R George

66/1

Showed a bit more than he did in bumpers when ninth in 15-runner Warwick novice on last month's hurdling bow. However, he failed to build on that next time and is probably one for handicaps later on.

Form: 90-97

Fortyfive West¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: Dr R D P Newland

125/1

Placed both starts in Irish points in May, but he has offered precious little under Rules to date, finishing out with the washing on recent hurdles debut at Exeter.

Form: 3280

Frere d'Armes⁸⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton

7/2

Runner-up in a maiden point on latest start in September. Subsequently picked up for £25,000 and, having joined a top yard ahead of this Rules debut, he's very much one to note in the betting.

Form: 4-72

Hard Frost⁶²

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls

28/1

Shaped fairly well when third on debut in a Newton Abbot bumper (16.8f) in April. Perhaps best to overlook poor reappearance effort over the same C&D and better expected now switched to hurdles.

Form: 3-8

Magic Venture^h⁷¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Benjamin Poste| T: Katy Price

200/1

Well beaten both completed starts to date and it's easy enough to look elsewhere.

Form: 9-6F

Mitchell Street¹¹

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Mitchell Bastyan⁽³⁾| T: Sheila Lewis

300/1

No signs of ability to date, beaten a long way on debut in a bumper and subsequently pulled up in a C&D maiden hurdle and a Hereford novice.

Form: 9PP

Modreeney¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Jack Tudor⁽³⁾| T: Christian Williams| D

100/1

Off the mark at the fourth attempt in bumpers at Ballinrobe in August, but offered little starting out over hurdles for new yard at Warwick (21f).

Form: 4-0716P

Samatian⁴⁶

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: David Bass| T: K Bailey & M Nicholls

66/1

Positives to glean from his introduction in a bumper last season, but has failed to threaten in a couple of runs over hurdles this time round and big step forward required here.

Form: 6-96

Stinggrey²⁹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: James Best| T: M Young

300/1

Failed to complete on 2 of his 3 starts between the flags and beaten a long way when last of 4 on Rules/hurdles debut at Sedgefield.

Form: UF7/4

Stumps Or Slips²⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Mr James Jeavons⁽⁷⁾| T: T H Weston

80/1

Performed above market expectations when third in a Huntingdon bumper on Rules debut in May. Well held making the switch to hurdles on return at Doncaster, though, and readily passed over here.

Form: FP-33

Sulbrick⁴²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: Alex Edwards⁽³⁾| T: Mrs M RowleyWS

125/1

Not disgraced on the second of his 2 starts in bumpers, but beaten a country mile on hurdles debut last month and since undergone a wind op.

Form: 8-67

Volatore²⁶⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: W T Kennedy| T: S-J Davies

300/1

Impossible to fancy now switched to hurdles on the back of a couple of poor showings in bumpers.

Form: 60-

Walkinthewoods³⁰

Age: 4| Weight: 10-12| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams

50/1

Runner-up on return in a Stratford bumper in October, but efforts in maiden hurdles the last twice have been completely devoid of promise.

Form: 5274

Non-Runners

Barnie Beetle

Weight: 10-12| Age: 4

T: O Greenall & J Guerriero J: Henry Brooke

Forecasts

Balco Coastal (1/4), Frere d'Armes (7/2), Iontach Cheval (11/2), Hard Frost (28/1), Walkinthewoods (50/1), Samatian (66/1), Clear On Top (66/1), Barnie Beetle (66/1), Stumps Or Slips (80/1), Modreeney (100/1), Sulbrick (125/1), Fortyfive West (125/1), Magic Venture (200/1), Volatore (300/1), Mitchell Street (300/1), Stinggrey (300/1)

It's difficult to look beyond BALCO COASTAL, who made an impressive start over hurdles at Huntingdon and is brimming with potential. Iontach Cheval proved that his bumper success was no flash in the pan when scoring on his hurdling bow at Uttoxeter and Alastair Ralph's charge is second choice ahead of Frere d'Armes, who is one to note in the betting on Rules debut, and Hard Frost.