2.05pm Ludlow Tips & Betting Preview 05/12/2016

An interesting Mares Hurdle with seven lining-up for the second feature race of the day at Ludlow with £12,346 on its way to the winner. Read on for our experts’ thoughts and betting tips.

IN SUMMARY: Midnight Tour will likely be popular given her consistent profile but she is up in the weights today and may have to play second fiddle here. Of the ones likely to improve past her, Late Night Lilly has won her last two quite well and should make a bold bid to make it a hat-trick but MIDTECH VALENTINE is in a similar position herself, and can make it three on the bounce given her gutsy nature and she looks open to more progress that Dan Skelton’s Mare.

1 Midnight Tour – Good year so far with wins in a Maiden Hurdle at Bangor, a Novice event here and then a Handicap Hurdle at Hereford last time out all in facile fashion. Looks to be a useful recruit to this sphere but up 11lb and needs another career-best but is sure to run well given current mood.

2 Favourite Girl – Won an Amateur Rider’s Handicap at Nottingham last month and a decent neck second at Ascot 17 days ago. Didn’t really take to this discipline last Winter and others to look have a better chance today.

3 Bella – Won back-to-back Handicaps last year at Warwick and then here last December staying on strongly to win well in both. Won at Plumpton in February in comfortable style and respectable form in completed starts in the Spring. Decent second on comeback at Towcester 25 days ago and likely to give it a good go but may find one or two too good again and best watched for now.

4 Late Night Lilly – Won a decent Mares Hurdle at Huntingdon in April and then brought down at Newton Abbott on next start. Decent win on come-back run at Market Rasen in September before following up at Huntingdon in October in a Novice’s Hurdle, staying on strongly to get up by two lengths. Should continue to progress and player on form.

5 Midtech Valentine – Won a couple of Handicap hurdles at Warwick and then here in the Spring and is 2-2 following 5-month break, winning comfortably by 2 ¼ lengths at Fontwell before going to score by 1 ¼ lengths at Kempton beating Un Prophete from the Venetia Williams yard. Open to further progress and dangerous to discount in this.

6 Mo Chailin – Won a Mare’s Novices Hurdle in smart fashion by six lengths at Catterick in March and decent second on return at Sedgefield last month, two lengths back. Sports first-time headgear here and much more needed to get involved.

7 Popping Along – Produced a career-best to get up by a neck at Aintree in May but has been well below form in three runs since including a well beaten fourth of five at Wincanton 30 days ago. Hard to fancy in this.