It’s a fairly low-key meeting at Ludlow on Thursday but there is one particularly interesting development which is worth looking at. Irish trainer Philip Rothwell is set to send two runners over to the Shropshire track for the first time in over five seasons. He’s not always the easiest trainer to get right but it’s important to take note if the money starts to come for his runners. Check out our free tips page for daily content across British and Irish racing.
Down Around makes his debut for Rothwell and he’s far from exposed, especially in handicap company. He was only beaten by a short head in a bumper over 2m4f at Wexford in May and has put in some reasonable efforts over hurdles.
The best of these was a six-length fourth in a maiden hurdle at Limerick over 2m6f in July. Soft to heavy ground is a bit of an unknown but he wasn’t disgraced when fifth on his sole start on soft. Sixth on handicap debut at Punchestown when last seen, it’s likely that the best is yet to come.
Spyfall was available at 25/1 on Wednesday morning and there are already some early signs of market support. The five-year-old mare hasn’t shown a great deal in four starts over hurdles thus far but she’s racing off an eye-catchingly low mark here.
Frankly the only way is up from here and it was a marginally better effort on handicap debut last time out. She’s entitled to progress again, with the benefit of having that experience under her belt. Stranger things have happened and there are no world-beaters in opposition.
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