Steve Ryder is back with three selections for today's racing.
13:15 Ludlow
This looks a competitive mares’ novices’ hurdle but preference goes to the Mel Rowley trained MALAITA (best priced at 17-2). The five-year-old ran well to finish 3rd on her racecourse debut at Worcester in April before winning a bumper here in May in impressive style by 4 ½ lengths. She made all that day under Alex Edwards and they tried to repeat those tactics on her hurdling debut when she ran well to finish 2nd behind an odds on favourite.
That run at Worcester was her reappearance run so Malaita is entitled to come on for that run and she should hit the frame back at Ludlow.
14:15 Ludlow
The Newest One runs 2lb “well in” at the weights in this race but I am taking a chance instead on the Katy Price trained PREMIER D'TROICE (best priced at 20-1). The seven-year-old was in good form this time last year when he completed a hat-trick of wins including two over fences at both Fontwell and Newton Abbot.
Premier D’troice has found this season tough so far off marks of 134 and 132 but the handicapper has given him a chance by dropping him 4lb down to a mark of 128. He won a handicap hurdle in December last year off a mark of 124 so this mark shouldn’t be beyond him and he now runs here in a first-time tongue tie following a wind operation. With only seven runners, he is a tentative win only selection at a big price.
15:30 Wolverhampton
PORFIN (best priced at 15-8) bounced back to form on his stable debut for Phil McEntee earlier this month and should hold strong claims of going one better in this race. Despite being 0-13 when trained by William Jarvis, the gelded son of Belardo has shown good form in the past with two 2nd placed efforts off marks of 52 and 50 under 76lb claimer Pam Du Crocq.
The three-year-old joined his new stable rated 50 and gets the run here off that mark again from being 2lb “well in” with the handicapper raising him for his one length defeat at Kempton on Friday. Hollie Doyle is an interesting booking on the AW for the yard as she is 5-28 in the last five years showing an +18pt profit to a 1pt level stake and I expect Porfin to prove hard to beat.
