The Ladbroke, run over two
miles with a total prize fund of £150,000, is Europe's richest handicap hurdle
and has attracted 48 high-class entries, nine more than received last year.
The Listed showpiece takes
place at Ascot on Saturday, December 22, the second day of the Royal course's
Christmas Meeting.
Last season's contest was
won in determined fashion by Alan King's Raya Star, who held off the
strong challenge of Rigidity to score by half a length under Wayne
Hutchinson. He is one of two entries for the Barbury Castle handler who could
also saddle last month's comfortable Haydock scorer Balder Succes, who
is one of three 8/1 co-favourites with the sponsor.
Nicky Henderson is the
winning-most trainer in The Ladbroke with three successes courtesy of Sentry
Duty (2008), Jack The Giant (2007), and Chauvinist (2002). The Lambourn handler
has six entries, headed by high-class hurdlers Darlan and Cash And Go,
who finished second on his seasonal reappearance in the Racing Post Hurdle at
Cheltenham on November 18. Henderson could also be represented by Listed Gerry
Fielden Hurdle winner Lyvius (8/1 co-favourite with Ladbrokes), former
high-class chaser Petit Robin, Hammersly Lake and First
In The Queue.
Dermot Weld's Grade One
winning juvenile hurdle Hisaabaat (8/1 co-favourite with Ladbrokes), heads
11 potential challengers from Ireland, up from eight in 2011, who include
Triumph Hurdle fifth Wingtips from the stable of Tony Martin, Racing
Post Hurdle third Cause Of Causes and a Gigginstown House Stud trio of Discoteca,
Shrapnel and Il Fenomeno.
Co Kilkenny handler Tom
Mullins has entered lightly-raced seven-year-old King Of Queens, who
made it two from two over hurdles this year with an impressive front-running
performance at Fairyhouse last Saturday, December 1, scoring by two and a
quarter lengths.
The son of Dalakhani is
out of 1991 Prix de Diane heroine Caerlina and was placed at Grade One level
over hurdles in 2009, before picking up an injury which kept him off the track
for nearly two and a half years. He is a 14/1 chance with Ladbrokes.
Mullins said: "At the
moment, King Of Queens is likely to run in The Ladbroke but we will have a look
at the weights and see then. I am very pleased with how he has come out of his
race at Fairyhouse and he seems very well.
"He made the running
at Fairyhouse but we wouldn't do that in Ascot as there will be a faster pace
going on there. I think The Ladbroke will really suit him and so will better
ground.
"He has certainly
surprised me with how well he has come back from injury. He had to have long
enough off because of tendon injures but maybe that's the key.
"He is very well bred
and hopefully he will keep improving. I think he'll be up to Graded company all
right but where we go after that, I don't know."
Champion trainer Paul
Nicholls has enjoyed a wonderful start to the season and has two potential
starters in Ranjaan, who is yet to run this season, and former useful
Flat performer Ted Spread.
Trainer Tom George has
indicated that Racing Post Hurdle hero Olofi will take his chance, while
David Pipe's six entries feature smart juvenile hurdler Kazlian, French
import Katkeau and the unbeaten mare Swing Bowler.
Other notable entries are
John Ferguson's classy performer Cotton Mill and Snap Tie, who is
trained by Philip Hobbs.
The weights for The
Ladbroke will be revealed on Wednesday, December 12.
Mike Dillon, Director of
Media Affairs at Ladbrokes, commented: "We are thrilled with the entries
for The Ladbroke and are looking forward to a cracking renewal at Ascot on
December 22.
"The race's
continuing popularity has seen an increased number of entries this year and it
is particularly satisfying to see a rise in the number of Irish-trained
entries.
"Nick Smith and
Charles Barnett from Ascot plus myself have made a number of trips to Ireland
this year to attract potential runners and we delighted that this has paid
dividends."
The Ladbroke - Opening
Prices from Ladbrokes: 8/1 Hisaabaat, Balder Succes, Lyvius; 10/1 Olofi, Cash And Go;
12/1 Cause Of Causes, Swing Bowler, Petit Robin, It's A Gimme, Princeton
Plains, Raya Star, Katkeau; 14/1 Rattan, Claret Cloak, King Of Queens; 16/1
Hammersly Lake, Dan Breen, Cotton Mill, Thomas Edison, Ranjaan, Discoteca; 20/1
Snap Tie, First In The Queue, Urbain de Sivola, Into Wain, Wingtips, Bothy, Ted
Spread; 25/1 Hawkhill, Double Ross, Top Wood, Kazlian, Redera, Bar de Ligne,
Rigidity, Shrapnel, Cousin Khee, Fleet Dawn, Persian Snow, Starluck,
Waterunder, Il Fenomeno; 33/1 Capellanus, First Avenue, Rowan Tiger,
Dontpaytheferryman; 40/1 Whitby Jack
Not Quoted - Darlan
Each-Way Terms: 1/4 odds -
1, 2, 3, 4
Non-Runner = No Bet
BIG
BUCK'S HEADS 13 FOR LONG WALK HURDLE
Hurdling sensation Big
Buck's heads 13 entries for the £75,000 Grade One Long Walk Hurdle over
three miles and a furlong on day two of the Christmas Meeting at Ascot on
Saturday, December 22.
The Paul Nicholls-trained
nine-year-old, unbeaten in 18 starts over hurdles in Britain, has won four
Ladbrokes World Hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival and has taken the past three
renewals of the Long Walk Hurdle.
Also among the entries is
Nick Williams' Reve De Sivola, who finished nine lengths behind Big
Buck's in the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on December 1, and 2012
Ladbrokes World Hurdle third Smad Place, trained by Alan King.
Other notable contenders
are Grade One Liverpool Hurdle runner-up Crack Away Jack, Grade Two
Elite Hurdle second Prospect Wells, also trained by Nicholls, and Jonjo
O'Neill's Get Me Out Of Here.
THE
LADBROKE
Class 1,
Listed Race, £150,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.40pm Ascot, Saturday, December
22, 2012. For 4yo+, two miles. Penalties: after December 9, a winner of a
hurdle 5lb - no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Entries
closed December 4, entries released December 5 (48 entries), weights revealed
December 12. Five-day confirmation stage December 17, final declaration stage,
10.00am, December 20. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to
and including the racing of Monday, December 3
Form
Horse Age Owner Trainer
11FU-31 BALDER
SUCCES (FR) 4 Masterson Holdings Limited Alan King
0630-25 BAR
DE LIGNE (FR) 6 P J Martin Steve Gollings
220/-243 BOTHY
6 Dan Gilbert Brian Ellison
0500P5 CAPELLANUS
(IRE) 6 Claire Ellison Brian Ellison
31115-2 CASH
AND GO (IRE) 5 Robin Geffen Nicky Henderson
012613
CAUSE OF CAUSES (USA) 4 Timeform Betfair Racing Club Ltd Gordon Elliott
IRE
12511-3 CLARET
CLOAK (IRE) 5 Hawksmoor Partnership Emma Lavelle
111U3-
COTTON MILL 5 Bloomfields John Ferguson
4130-3(1)
COUSIN KHEE 5 Raymond Tooth Hughie Morrison
0203-P3 DAN
BREEN (IRE) 7 Stuart & Simon Mercer David Pipe
111F21- DARLAN
5 J P McManus Nicky Henderson
61-1114 DISCOTECA
4 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
11310-0 DONTPAYTHEFERRYMAN
(USA) 7 Koo's Racing Club Brian Ellison
2-32F14 DOUBLE
ROSS (IRE) 6 Options O Syndicate Nigel Twiston-Davies
3216-3F FIRST
AVENUE 7 Laura Mongan Laura Mongan
0P-1002 FIRST
IN THE QUEUE (IRE) 5 Liam Breslin Nicky Henderson
50-6113 FLEET
DAWN 6 Prism Bloodstock Brian Ellison
31/0333- HAMMERSLY
LAKE (FR) 4 Michael Buckley Nicky Henderson
121214
HAWKHILL (IRE) 6 R H D Smith Tim Vaughan
2121-04 HISAABAAT
(IRE) 4 Dr Ronan Lambe/Dominick Glennane Dermot Weld IRE
11530-4 IL
FENOMENO (ITY) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Noel Meade IRE
321146- INTO
WAIN (USA) 5 P J Martin Steve Gollings
21210-2 IT'S
A GIMME (IRE) 5 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
0-23210 KATKEAU
(FR) 5 Prof C Tisdall, J A Gent, R Wilkin David Pipe
21140-0 KAZLIAN
(FR) 4 Twelve Pipers Piping David Pipe
4133///-11
KING OF QUEENS (IRE) 7 Miss Ashley Scanlon Thomas Mullins
IRE
1210-1
LYVIUS 4 Trevor Hemmings Nicky Henderson
42F50-1 OLOFI
(FR) 6 McNeill Family Tom George
2120-30 PERSIAN
SNOW (IRE) 6 D R Peppiatt Philip Hobbs
2F/30-51 PETIT
ROBIN (FR) 9 S W Group Logistics Limited Nicky Henderson
3151-62 PRINCETON
PLAINS (IRE) 6 J P McManus Edward Harty IRE
2F11-
RANJAAN (FR) 4 Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Ranjaan Paul
Nicholls
201316
RATTAN (USA) 7 J A Coleman Willie Mullins IRE
1301-12 RAYA
STAR (IRE) 6 Simon Munir Alan King
36300-3 REDERA
(IRE) 6 Peter William Partnership Tony Martin IRE
260P-52 RIGIDITY
5 Pearn's Pharmacies Ltd Tim Vaughan
4044-16 ROWAN
TIGER 6 Paul Jenkins Dr Richard Newland
2-23011 SHRAPNEL
(IRE) 6 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott IRE
306/1//1-0
SNAP TIE (IRE) 10 Diana Whateley Philip Hobbs
34/30-06 STARLUCK
(IRE) 7 Andrew Wates David Arbuthnot
1111-
SWING BOWLER 5 David Johnson David Pipe
42100-0 TED
SPREAD 5 False Nose 'n Glasses Partnership Paul Nicholls
F12P02 THOMAS
EDISON (IRE) 5 J P McManus Tony Martin IRE
11151-0 TOP
WOOD (FR) 5 Lady Clarke David Pipe
104-140 URBAIN
DE SIVOLA (FR) 4 Potensis Limited & Chris Giles Nick Williams
41U-0
WATERUNDER (IRE) 5 Sarah Clifford David Pipe
P010B/- WHITBY
JACK 5 C E Stedman Gary Moore
453-634 WINGTIPS
(FR) 4 Sheila Moffett Tony Martin IRE
48
entries
11
Irish-trained
THE LONG
WALK HURDLE
Class 1,
Grade 1, £75,000 Total Prize Fund. 2.30pm Ascot, Saturday, December
22, 2012. For 4yo+, three miles & one furlong. Weights: 11st 7lb.
Allowances: fillies and mares 7lb.Entries closed December 4, entries released
December 5 (13 entries). Five-day confirmation stage December 17, final
declaration stage, 10.00am, December 20. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys
and are correct up to and including the racing of Monday, December 3.
Form
Horse Age Owner Trainer
11111-1 BIG
BUCK'S (FR) 9 The Stewart Family Paul Nicholls
220/-243 BOTHY
6 Dan Gilbert Brian Ellison
P/50P2-2 CRACK
AWAY JACK 8 GDM Partnership Tom George
1F01-02 CUCUMBER
RUN (IRE) 7 The Goblyns Nicky Henderson
260-044 FIVE
DREAM (FR) 8 Scott-MacDonald, Kilduff, Donlon & Doyle Paul
Nicholls
2221-14 GET
ME OUT OF HERE (IRE) 8 J P McManus Jonjo O'Neill
2250P-0 KAYF
ARAMIS 10 Kayf Aramis Racing Nigel Twiston-Davies
F/1R16-6 MASTER
OF THE HALL (IRE) 8 Martin Landau & Jonathan Duffy Nicky Henderson
3F0/4UU- NOBLE
ALAN (GER) 9 Craig Bennett Nicky Richards
4453-20 PROSPECT
WELLS (FR) 7 Andrea & Graham Wylie Paul Nicholls
3/4053-2 REVE
DE SIVOLA (FR) 7 Paul Duffy Diamond Partnership Nick Williams
0/123U-3 SMAD
PLACE (FR) 5 Mrs Peter Andrews Alan King
3236-11 TRUSTAN
TIMES (IRE) 6 Mrs M E Armitage & Peter Armitage Tim Easterby
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