Ludlow's stands provide great viewing particularly from the rooftop vista
The entry to the course at £10 is for you and your car and to gives access to the centre of the track facilities. However due to the fact that the paddock, pre-parade ring and winners’ enclosure are all in the centre, the Tatts is separated out from the cheap zone and has a course crossing to get to the grandstand. You need to spend £6 more for this benefit. You do in any event get a free racecard so I didn’t think it was too exorbitant. There is also an access point for the club enclosure from the centre to enable flow too and from paddock etc. On top of the stands is an uncovered additional viewing area giving a fantastic view of the racing and well worth the climb. Catering at the course is not bad and there are enough facilities with basic fare on show.
Good looking local lad done good
The countryside in Shropshire is very picturesque and the journey down from Shrewsbury is a good way to be experience it. This is Darwin territory and no wonder a geologist wanted to be in the middle of this area as the rocks are very interesting. Several of the best roadstone quarries are in this vicinity and the connection between the rocks with natural history probably led to this being Darwin’s base. Shrewsbury also took advantage of putting itself further on the tourist map when the celebrations for some centenary relating to Darwin happened a couple of years ago. These types of spurious affectations are even more hilariously applied to quarries. I remember a Leicestershire quarry celebrating 200 years of existence. Yet it was used in stone age days and was formed by a volcanic intrusion roughly 250 years ago. Going back to Shrewsbury they decided to make a concrete object of urban art in association with the festivities. Now from my perspective I think it is a piece of great artistic value due to a peccadillo towards concrete. However I have to confess it looks like a couple of dozen slabs of concrete resting on each other and not a double helix or the backbone of a pre-historic reptile. All in all having worked on this project with the sculptor it is fascinating to get a perspective on how these arty types think. They would be great horse traders I am sure. Anyway, if you are going to Ludlow from the north, take time to pop in en route to Shrewsbury (which is like Chester probably was before it got football wives snottyness) and remember to take a peek at what a wonderful art medium concrete can be.
Here's one I made earlier out of concrete, steel bolts and sticky backed plastic
News from the blog for week commencing 21st of March was of our positives to back given conditions we had Lordsbridge winning on a flat track at 100/30, Chrysanda winning at 10/11, Eyre Squire obliged at 7/4 and Make A Track well fancied to win another bumper which he did at 7/4. On the downside we had Bettabob and Naughty Naughty both beaten after big hikes in the weights, whilst Wild Desert and Lord Singer well beaten but still poorly handicapped. Hollow Blue Sky beaten in bumper but we are waiting until hurdles over 2m4, Promised Wings disappointed when 4th at Newbury and Strongbows Legend ran well when 2nd at 2/1. Of the negatives as lays we had Saulty Max pulled up at 3/1 and Easton Clump pulled up at 4/1, but Turko won at 11/8.
So we had three winners at up to 100/30 with two lays at shortish odds being successful. However we had a losing lay and two fancied horses going down. Four runners are too poorly handicapped to back and we are awaiting a bumper runner moving over to hurdles. It was a tight week but the blog ended up on the right side.
The racing opened up with a mares hurdle over 21f which looked a decent quality event. One of the blog’s positives, Kaituna, was a comfortable winner of the race being well ridden and produced from behind the leading trio to pull clear approaching last. Fiddled the last but was safe enough. Certainly looks like she will stay further and remains capable against mares in this sort of company. At OR of 105 she is on a useful mark. King’s Queen was not disgraced as the runner up. She led for much but appeared to be stretched by 2m5 and a drop in distance may well help. She has been raced over this trip in general probably because her points form over 3m indicated stamina but it is always dangerous to assume too much. My view is that she may well be able to have enough pace to win over 2m to 2m2 on good ground. The third home was the well backed favourite Seren Cwmtundo who was not fluent throughout, had won a modest event at Taunton and is not up to shouldering the penalty whilst she is on a welter OR 117 in comparison to her demonstrated ability. Constitutes a negative on the basis of the continued over-estimation by connections of talent which often leads to a short price. Of the others Bully Whiskers an ex Irish maiden who jumped poorly and gave no indication of winning potential despite attracting market attention finished tailed off. Debutante Emerald Glade fresh from some low grade wins on the flat went off not unfancied at 12/1 but ran in snatches, jumped very novice and ended up finishing weakly from a fair fourth position.
Winning mare Kaituna heads off to the start with the weight of The Blog's beer money
A novice chase over 16f had a reduced level of interest when quietly fancied Cottage Flyer was a non runner. The race in the end was easily won by odds on favourite Fahrisee who led from halfway but was not that fluent. He has now won two novices but is on an unattractive mark of OR 132 and lack of fluency suggests he will struggle to win again as this was a particularly simple task. The runner up is the increasingly frustrating Thumbs Up. He failed to consent to run when I saw him at Haydock recently and again today planted himself but did decide to race. His jumping is very moderate and gives little confidence from a backing point of view. On another point he did lose a hind shoe and the other hind shoe looked to have been loosened to the point of close to falling off. This would not have helped, may well have occurred at the start but cannot lead to poor jumping or temperamental issues. Courella was well outpaced from 5 out and the other runner Dark Haven pulled so hard as to have lost any chance before halfway.
It's even money whether he consents to start, Thumbs Up would rather rip his own shoes off first
The first handicap of the day was a highly competitive 21f class 3 hurdle. The winner, Haventgotascoobydo, has established a good relationship with Warren Marsden. I had seen him finish fourth in unsuitable heavy ground at Uttoxeter on new year’s eve. He is a hold up horse and was produced very well today staying on well after making rapid headway from 4 out led after 3 out and held on well for a 5 length victory. Has now won twice at Ludlow and the course suits these tactics. I was quite impressed but based on OR of 115 (and likely to go higher) he may only be attractive if he goes up less than the 7lbs norm. Troubletimestwo was second and gave every indication that he really needs further so 24f should be considered. I think he is well worth having a look at handicaps as the current 109 from a top level of 126 indicates that he is on a good mark. Third home was Mad Moose who I had seen win well at Haydock and the view was that he could take advantage of a favourable mark given the future assessment. It is also apparent that he is best fresh. Ran reasonably well today, had every chance approaching last but failed to quicken as well as he did at Haydock. Best left until freashened up. Fourth home was Peaceful Means who was held up and produced to lead three out but was soon headed and this seems to support the view that he is much better targeted at 16f. I think that on 104 he is on a good mark, showed he has retained ability above the mark he is currently sat on and that running over 16f to 18f will see him to best advantage. He comes out of this race as a positive.
Approaching the line first time and eventual winner Haventgotascoobydoo (in green) is held up well off the pace
Richard Johnson rode a great race on chase debutant Russian Epic who was woken up by a poor early mistake to slowly jump his way into race and then power clear to win well in the feature class 3 21f handicap chase. He had the kitchen sink (tongue strap and pieces) chucked at him, he is clearly better over fences than hurdles and as such I think he can follow up and win another a handicap. Cruchain jumped well and is showing gradual improvement now concentrating on chasing. He was prominent throughout and seemed to stay ok. Given that the winner was very well handicapped you have to conclude that Cruchain was a bit unlucky to bump into Russian Epic today under these circumstances. His form suggests that he may be even better suited by 2m although I saw no sign that he failed to stay this trip. Akarshan ran ok to finish third but wasn’t that fluent. Shake The Barley ran better than the position suggests and was not given a hard run, is on a good mark on 108 and this 21f trip suits. One for the future and seems best on good ground on tight turning tracks, Has won on the idiosyncratic Fontwell. He comes out of this as a positive and as a 6 year old has plenty of potential. Of the remainder Restezen D’armor is well out of his depth on current mark but was backed in the market. The edgy and moody The Snail was sulking away at the back throughout, Man From Highworth eased quickly given the impression that the veteran may have picked up an injury and Tyup Pompey was soon beaten after showing prominently till halfway but was plugging on for 5th.
Impressive novice Russian Epic wins the feature handicap
Richard Johnson is led into the winner's enclosure
Supernoverre won the 16f claiming hurdle. He was in mid div until produced 3 out, lead between last two fences and kicked clear. Has produced best on tight tracks. Not sure how good this mob were and whether he can follow up. The runner up was gambled on favourite Second Brook who keeps giving the impression that he needs 20f and if is in similar company on goodish ground should win although after 20 fruitless efforts remains one for the optimists. The rest are moderate in the extreme. Mister Fantastic (made most but was headed and outpaced in the straight), Goose Green (better suited by firm ground and improved a bit on earlier hurdle efforts. In the past indicated that he was best on flat or twisty tracks) Bahr Nothing (jumped poorly) Ask The Oracle (never fluent and suited to slow going all weather conditions on flat) and finally Magnitude (given an easy from 3 out after racing prominently he should suit a soft ground seller)
Claiming hurdle final hurdle
Double Mead was the strongly backed and successful favourite of the hunter chase. He did jumped moderately as is often the norm for hunters and it was a bit rough around the final turn. Despite a sizable bump Alex Dunn held her line well and kicked on from 2 out to win well. Generally best right handed. McCauley finished second having challenged throughout. His jumping let him down today but not disgraced to finish second, is still a novice hunter and may be better in that class as has some ability. The veteran Almaydan is a bit of a light of former days having been a very respectable handicap chaser in his youth. Plods around enjoying himself but would need to be exceptionally well placed to win again. There were a couple of mulish performances from very well backed horses. The Waley-Cohen combination Otage de Brion opened a short 7/2 second favourite he jumped very poorly and was soon detached looking as much unlike the 142 rated chaser from last season as it is possible to find. Perhaps he has lost confidence following a recent fall. Cedris Libani who had been very useful a couple of years ago and traded at 9/2 after a Ludlow double. Reluctant to start and when consented was a fence behind until Mr Burton decided he had had enough exercise for the day at around halfway.
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Alex Dunn rides a fine race after a rough ride around the final turn on Double Mead
The meeting closed off with a strongly contested bumper. As the blog stated after the Towcester meeting that if AP turns up for one ride in a mid week bumper then get on. This time I availed of the offered 2/1 with gusto. The Nicky Henderson trained debutant Sizing India looked a very useful sort in the paddock, decided to ship The Champ en route to the start, raced a bit greenly but when produced from 3f out he showed smooth acceleration and won in the manner of a very useful recruit. Looks more a hurdler than a chaser, at 6 years old he needs to get going and he could prove very useful in next year’s novice hurdle events. As such I am sure we will see him out again soon, perhaps even the champion bumper at Punchestown where he must have a good chance. Wherever it is he ends up next he is going to follow up in a bumper this season. The reason for such a delay for his racecourse appearance was that he was never right last year due to worms and casting. What further supports this view on Sizing India is that 5 length runner up Castle Conflict had some very good pointing form and ran well leading for much only giving best at the furlong pole, a promising run. As was the third home Orangeaday who was beaten a further half a length in third. This four year old raced with much promise hinting that further would suit. He is closely related to the great stayer Anzum and is worth keeping tabs on him when he goes hurdling next year. The rest were pretty well outclassed. There were exceptions in that Crescent Beach ran very green and was not disgraced as a distant fourth. Whilst course and distance winner Parsnip Pete clipped the heels of a horse ahead and unseated Paddy Brennan early on so we will have to guess as to how close he could have finished.
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Two very promsing bumper horses in the paddock beofre the final race with four year old Orangeaday (finished third) leading up Sizing India (winner)
Notebook
Seren Cwmtundo (Negative)
Not been seen out since so bin now
Peaceful Means down £30
2 0 0
Appeared to be set for chasing and I am not convinced he is much good anyway so have binned
Russian Epic
Not been seen out since and has now been ditched
Shake The Barley up £50
1(7/1) P 3
Nice win over 3m at Perth led to efforts at this distance but on stiffer tracks. Left alone after three races
Sizing India down £10
0
Fifth in good bumper at Punchestown festival. Keeping tit alive as I am sure he wll make a hurdler
Orangeaday down £20
0 0
Still in bumpers but last run was promising when fifth in cheltenham event. Will persevere
Currently £10 up