3.00pm Ludlow Tips & Betting Preview 26/10/2017

3.00pm Ludlow tips for Thursday’s race. Two miles over fences await the novices here but with a small but select field tactics may have their say. Read on for our free betting tips, predictions and analysis.

IN SUMMARY: A tricky race for a small field but one that can go to the Ian Williams trained KAPSTADT who will have been extensively schooled since his last run and is undoubtedly very well handicapped if he can put in a clear round.

1 VALHALLA –Rated at up to 138 over hurdles Colin Tizzard’s seven-year-old has only had the two runs over fences and wasn’t at all disgraced when a four and a half-length third at Stratford over further last time out, making a mistake at the last when tired and passed by others close home. He drops back considerably in trip here which may well help and with further improvement likely, he ought to be a major player here. 

2 ROBINSHILL – Trained by our colleague Nigel Twiston-Davies, he won four races over hurdles last season at Ffos Las (twice), Wetherby, and Huntingdon so clearly has ability, though that wasn’t obvious over fences last time out when he was pulled up over two and a half miles at Newton Abbot in a four-horse race. Well weighted if he can transfer hurdling for to fences but precious little evidence that will happen just yet. 

3 KAPSTADT – Dropped five pounds by the handicapper after his one and only run over fences but rightly so after Ian Williams’ seven-year-old was beaten thirty-six lengths at Stratford after some sketchy inexperienced jumping. Sure to have been well schooled since at home by his astute trainer, he is almost certain to jump a lot better here and is potentially very well-handicapped if he does and he should prove very hard to beat.

4 GOING FOR BROKE – Jonathan Moore rides for Rebecca Curtis here which can be a potent combination and if the money is down for the J P McManus owned son of Gold Well, the hint could be worth taking. Two wins from four chases so far is a good record by any standards but he was well beaten in fourth last time out over two and a half miles at Worcester and will want a good solid early pace here to have any chance of winning dropped back to this trip.

5 DAREBIN – Sussex trainer Gary Moore has his horses running well and the fief-year-old winning hurdler gave the distinct impression that he could be even better over fences after finishing second over this course and distance earlier this month. Bigmartre got first run on him that day but Jamie Moore will make sure that doesn’t happen this time around and if he improves at all for the experience and his first run in six months, he ought to go close again this afternoon. 

6 FLORESCO – First time over fences here for the German-bred who has won twice over hurdles at Wincanton and Newton Abbot but is yet to jumps a fence in public. His handicap rating looks about right based on his hurdles form but with no evidence he can or cannot jump he may be best watched at this stage of his chasing career.