Thankfully we seem to be coming out of this cold snap, and I’m really looking forward to getting back racing. I head to Ludlow on Tuesday for three rides, and hopefully we’ll have a good day there.

Ludlow is a fair track and one I quite enjoy riding. You can drop out a little bit, but you usually need to be on a horse with plenty of pace who can hold their position. Jumping-wise, the fences are pretty fair, but you do see a fair amount of fallers at those first few fences in the straight, so it’s important to get into a good rhythm and not get caught too far back.

As I say, it’s a course I always enjoy riding at, and they always put on good prize money there, so I think a lot of tracks could take note of from the likes of Ludlow.

1.50 Ludlow - Shelikesthelights

I rode her at Plumpton two starts ago when she was a good second to a good horse of Milton Harris’, and I was really pleased with her that day considering it was her first start over hurdles. I didn’t ride her at Fontwell last time, but she was a little disappointing if I’m honest. I’m not sure if the ground was a bit soft for her, but she didn’t run her race for whatever reason, which was a shame. She goes up in trip again here, so she’ll have to prove her stamina, but she shaped like she’d stay further when I rode her at Plumpton, and she’s certainly not slow. If you can put a line through her last run, then I think she can go well, particularly at Ludlow, which I think should suit her.

2.20 Ludlow - Guguss Collonges

I’ve not ridden him before, so he’s not a horse I know lots about, but it’s great to pick up a spare ride on one of Roger Teal’s horses. He was pulled-up last time at Lingfield, but I think the ground was a bit soft for him that day, so hopefully conditions at Ludlow are a bit more to his liking. Prior to that he was running consistently well, and he won at Plumpton this time last year, so hopefully he can go close in what looks an open contest.

2.50 Ludlow – The Widdow Maker

This does look a very competitive race, but I’d expect he’ll be quite prominent in the betting, and he very rarely runs a bad race. Although he was well-beaten by the winner at Newbury last time, he was well clear of the rest, so there are definite positives to take from that run. He’s been dropped 3lb for that run as well, so the handicapper has certainly given him a chance. Somewhere like Ludlow should suit him as he likes to be up with the pace, so it looks a good opportunity for him. He does come down in trip here, but he’s definitely not a slow horse, so hopefully the race will be run to suit.

Brendan Powell, Coral Racing Ambassador