An excellent midweek jumps card from Ludlow on ground currently described as soft but with the possibility of riding good to soft by post time given there is no rain forecast. John Constable is a fascinating newcomer for Evan Williams having been acquired privately by leading owner Dai Walters out of Aidan O'Brien's yard and is a brother to the Ascot Gold Cup winner Leading Light. He is still an entire, not yet been gelded, but was rated 94 on the flat and it will be interesting to see if the market speaks in his favour.
Swivel (1.30) won a competitive handicap at Haydock Park off 92 back in September and made a satisfactory, no more, debut over timber for the excellent John Ferguson at Kempton over Xmas. The selection will appreciate the drying ground and with that experience behind him he can break his maiden tag at the second attempt.
Whisky Yankee makes his chase debut for Evan Williams having previously been in the care of both Paul Nicholls and Jonjo O'Neill. He has never quite fulfilled the initial promise he showed in Bumpers but fences might be the making of him.
New Year's Eve (2.00) makes a belated seasonal reappearance and four of his five career wins have been gained right-handed including when scoring on debut at this meeting three years ago. He finished runner up that year to Champagne Fever in the Festival Bumper and is another who, arguably, underachieved over timber. Jack Quinlan, who scored twice on the horse last season, keeps the mount and he will be hard to beat if coping with the larger obstacles.
I like the booking of Nigel Twiston-Davies' excellent conditional Jamie Bargary for Auldthunder (3.30) in the “Hands And Heels” Chase. The selection was in the process of scoring at Catterick, although a couple of the fancied runners departed early, when coming down at the last on his previous start and does have winning form between the flags. In a race that won't take much winning he is taken to make amends for Micky Hammond.
At Taunton Georgie Lad beat Stellar Notion in his native Ireland in a point-to-point but has not yet fired over timber for Philip Hobbs. He will be tough to beat but another winning Irish pointer David Pipe's Rathlin Rose (1.40) is taken to go one better than when runner up over C&D here last month on his debut under rules.
Vago Collonges must learn to settle if he is to fulfil his potential and Paul Nicholls fits his 6-year-old with a hood for the first time. He is a winner in-waiting over jumps but Rock The Kasbah (2.10) is a winner without a penalty having won a conditional jockey's hurdle at Fontwell for Philip Hobbs last time. Sarah Hobbs said he would be “very special one day” after his last win and he can follow up.
Money For Nothing remains a maiden after nine starts but will have few better opportunities than in the Handicap Chase for Alan King but marginal preference is for top-weight Pinkneys Prince (2.40) who came down three out on his reappearance when just getting into the race at Wincanton.
The first Hunter Chase of the British season is the penultimate event and the mare Chosen Milan (3.40) finished last season with an excellent second to Theatre Queen at Stratford and has youth on her side. She could make up into a very decent Hunter this season and gets the vote.
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