Wincanton & Ludlow – Thursday 20th January

It’s hard to look ahead to today’s action after the news we have received this morning. The eagerly anticipated clash between Shishkin and Energumene is set to take place on Saturday and that should whet the appetite for all of us looking forward to the action over the weekend. For now though, there is racing from Wincanton and Ludlow to digest, and they’re should be some likeable chance on both cards. 

Starting with Wincanton, where the 2.15 is the first race of note and this 2m4f handicap chase looks a wide open affair and one could make a very strong case for at least seven of the nine runners in this race. I am going to be taking a chance on the talented but quirky, White Moon – who has shot down the handicap in recent starts and might be ready to strike off a mark of 110. This talented horse was a good novice chaser down the line but a number of jumping mistakes over the years have halted his progression. He has run two solid races this year, when falling to stay at Exeter and coming 4th over this course and distance last month. That was when Tizzard’s horses were not in good form though and he returns this time around with the horses in top nick. At a price 11/2 with SkyBet, who are offering 4 places – he should be backed each way. 

The 3.15 race is the 3m1f handicap chase and those that have followed the page for a while would know that I put up Pennyforapound at a big price over 2m7f at Taunton last month, when he ran a very good race in third and looked tapped for a bit of toe. He slightly spooked at plenty of the turns on that occasion as well and hopefully he might be sharper for that run, with the cheek pieces hopefully continuing the desired effect. He is a talented horse and should be able to be competitive off an unchanged mark of 115. If allowed to dictate fractions out in front in this small field, he might be able to hold on out in front. At a price of 13/2 with Coral, who are offering 3 places for this seven runner field, he should be backed each way. 

The only selection coming from Ludlow comes in the 2.30 race, which is a small six runner handicap chase over 2m4f for horses rated between 0-130. I can’t see past the exciting Bobhopeornohope – who has been a long time servant in my favorites category since making a winning hurdling debut last season. He got back to the winners enclosure, when winning on Stephen’s Day at Market Rasen from the front and I’m hopeful for similar tactics to be employed by the usually positive David Bass on board. This horse’s jumping has been improving with every run and hopefully he should be able to continue his progress. He has always looked like a better horse than a 128 horse, and even though he has to defy a five pound raise for his win last time out, he should be very competitive. At a price of 7/2 with William Hill, he should be backed.