Racecards
13:30 Ludlow
Shropshire Mind Mares' Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (Class 2)
- 7 Runners
- Distance: 1m 7f 169y
- Going: Good to Soft (Soft in places)
- Surface: Turf
- £15,000 added
- Winner: £9,747
- 2nd: £2,862
- 3rd: £1,431
- 4th: £716
- Form P312-13
- Age 6
- Weight 11-12
- Official Rating 138
- Trainer N B King
- Jockey Bryony Frost
led, ridden to hold narrow advantage 5th, headed 4 out, weakened quickly before 3 out
- Form 11P/813-
- Age 5
- Weight 11-10
- Official Rating 136
- Trainer P F Nicholls
- Jockey Angus Cheleda
held up in rear but in touch, headway on outside to press leaders 5th, led narrowly 3 out, not fluent but in front 2 out, pushed out after last, held on
- Form 40-2431
- Age 4
- Weight 11-7
- Official Rating 133
- Trainer A King
- Jockey Tom Cannon
held up towards rear, last but in touch 4 out, ridden approaching 3 out, one pace from 2 out
- Form 1313-49
- Age 6
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 122
- Trainer L Wadham
- Jockey J M Quinlan
midfield, travelled strongly behind leaders 4 out, close up under pressure 3 out, outpaced before last, stayed on strongly flat, could not reach winner
- Form 345-211
- Age 5
- Weight 10-10
- Official Rating 122
- Trainer D Skelton
- Jockey Harry Skelton
pressed leader, led narrowly 4 out, headed 3 out, ridden and one pace from 2 out
- Form 51511F
- Age 6
- Weight 10-7
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer Sheila Lewis
- Jockey Sean Houlihan
held up in touch, headway to track leader 4 out, ridden and outpaced approaching 3 out, stayed on under pressure from last, could not reach leaders
- Form 9116/52
- Age 6
- Weight 10-7
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer S Edmunds
- Jockey C Gethings
held up on outside, ridden towards rear 4 out, lost touch 3 out, not fluent 2 out, no extra
In depth
Verdict
This is a very competitive mares’ handicap but Midnights' Gift had more in hand than the official margin suggests when beating A Little Chaos a couple of lengths at Fakenham. Miss Heritage won at Fakenham last season and also Huntingdon so she should enjoy this sharp track and two outings will have blown away any cobwebs. Marada arrives on a hat-trick and makes her handicap debut but Cubswin doesn’t really handle give in the ground and Cotton End looks too high in the weights now. MIRANDA ran well on the Flat in October and is 3-6 over hurdles, including a victory over course and distance. She should have more to offer this winter and a 7lb claimer improves her chance in this
Formwatch
Cubswin (IRE) 15-2 (9-13) Soon led, ridden and headed 3f out, weakening when slightly hampered inside final 2f, last of 11, 14 1/2l behind Colony Queen (9-10) at Yarmouth 1m 3f hcp fll (4) gf in Sep.
Miranda (IRE) 7-2 (9-12) Held up, pushed along and progress over 2f out, ridden to challenge over 1f out, ran on inside final furlong without troubling winner, 2nd of 7, 6l behind Land Of Winter (8-10) at Nottingham 1m 6f hcp (3) sft in Oct.
Midnights' Gift 9-4 (11-12) Close up, headway to chase leader soon after 3 out, led bend approaching last, ridden out, won at Fakenham 2m hcp (3) gd in Nov beating A Little Chaos (11-0) by 2l, 7 ran.
Miss Heritage (IRE) 14-1 (10-11) Just better than midfield, niggled along and progress before 3 out, outpaced and bit short of room 2 out, faded run in, 9th of 17, 25 3/4l behind Tegerek (10-10) at Cheltenham 2m hcp (3) gd in Oct.
Marada 1-5fav (11-2) Not fluent at times, made all, ran on, comfortable, won at Huntingdon 2m (4) gd in Nov beating Bolt N Brown (11-2) by 6 1/2l, 8 ran.
Cotton End (IRE) 11-4fav (11-7) Chased leaders, went 2nd before 4th, 1 length down and staying on when fell last, at Hereford 2m hcp (4) gs in Nov.
A Little Chaos (IRE) 4-1 (11-0) Tracked leaders, pushed along and outpaced 3 out, ridden and headway approaching last, stayed on to go 2nd towards finish, 2nd of 7, 2l behind Midnights' Gift (11-12) at Fakenham 2m hcp (3) gd in Nov.