@AscotInsider Ifandbutwhynot considered for The Ladbroke

Grade One winners Melodic Rendezvous (11st 12lb, 16/1), Ptig Zig (11st 11lb, 16/1) and Grumeti (11st 11lb, 16/1)head the weights for The Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday, December 21. The two-mile Grade Three is one of the most prestigious handicap hurdles in Europe and carries a prize fund of at least £150,000.

 

Quick Jack (10st 5lb), trained by Tony Martin and one of seven Irish entries, is the 7/1 favourite with the sponsor following a two and a quarter length success in a competitive novices' handicap hurdle at Cheltenham on November 15. The form is working out well with both Deep Trouble and Three Kingdoms, who finished second and third, winning nicely next time.

French import Dell' Arca (10st 10lb, 12/1) made the best possible start to his career in Britain with a gutsy success over Sametegal (11st 10lb, 12/1) andRawnaq (11st 3lb, 25/1) in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham on November 17. His trainer David Pipe is also responsible for Shotavodka (11st 4lb, 20/1),Ronaldo des Mottes (10st 11lb, 25/1), Swing Bowler (10st 10lb, 16/1),Waterunder (10st 11lb, 25/1) and Dan Breen (10st 9lb, 33/1).

The David O'Meara-trained Ifandbutwhynot (10st 13lb, 14/1) finished 10th in the Greatwood Hurdle after being hampered, but bounced back with a decisive four and a half-length victory over Chatterbox (11st 3lb, 14/1) when making all in the Listed Gerry Feilden Hurdle at Newbury on November 28.

O'Meara reported: "Ifandbutwhynot has come out of the Gerry Feilden well and is a possible runner in The Ladbroke.

"We have contemplated going chasing with him, but obviously he won nicely over hurdles the last day. I still need to speak to the owners but there is every possibility that he could go to Ascot.

"He got the run of the race at Newbury but it was a good performance. He quickened up nicely from two out and beat some well-regarded horses.

"We have always liked him and it was good to see him win a nice race."

Ifandbutwhynot is a 14/1 chance with Ladbrokes.

Champion trainer Nicky Henderson is the most successful current trainer in The Ladbroke at Ascot with three victories courtesy of Sentry Duty (2008), Jack The Giant (2007), and Chauvinist (2002). His seven entries include Haydock scorerRolling Star (11st 10lb, 12/1), French recruit Blue Fashion (11st 8lb, 12/1) and Chatterbox.

Irish handler Gordon Elliott scored last year with Cause Of Causes and could saddle Cheltenham Festival winner Flaxen Flare (11st 1lb, 16/1), while Irish champion Willie Mullins has four entries headed by the J P McManus-owned City Slicker (10st 12lb, 12/1). The lightly-raced five-year-old scored impressively on his handicap debut at Punchestown on November 17.

Ladbrokes betting: 7/1 Quick Jack, 12/1 Sametegal, Rolling Star, Blue Fashion, Dell' Arca, City Slicker, 14/1 Chatterbox, Ifandbutwhynot, 16/1 Melodic Rendezvous, Grumeti, Ptit Zig, Call Me Bubbles, Caid Du Berlais, Chris Pea Green, Flaxen Flare, Vendor, Pine Creek, Swing Bowler, Willows Saviour, Snake Eyes, Upazo, 20/1 Get Me Out Of Here, Shotavodka, River Maigue, Cash And Go, Dunraven Storm, Ranjaan, Chesil Beach Boy, Karazhan, Moujik Borget, 25/1 Court Minstrel, Rawnaq, Irish Saint, Doyly Carte, Ronaldo Des Mottes, Vulcanite, Alaivan, Lexis Boy, Waterunder, Clondaw Kaempfer, Recession Proof, Kaylif Aramis, Kazlian, Bordoni, Dildar, Totalize, Sarabad, Franciscan, Milord, Whitby Jack, 33/1 Zuider Zee, Ruacana, Landscape, Dan Breen, Knight Of Pleasure, Makari, Seventh Sky

Each-Way 1/4 the odds - 1, 2, 3, 4 NON-RUNNER NO BET

David Williams of Ladbrokes commented: "Our non-runner, no bet, concession is proving very popular with a great spread of business but Quick Jack is easily the most popular horse in the market and the one that has captured the imagination of antepost punters."

The Christmas Meeting takes place at Ascot on Friday and Saturday, December 20 and 21.

As well as The Ladbroke, Saturday also features the £75,000 Grade One Wessex Youth Trust Long Walk Hurdle and the £43,500 Listed Mappin & Webb Silver Cup Handicap Chase. Friday's highlights are the £30,000 Grade Two Mitie Kennel Gate Novices' Hurdle and the £30,500 Grade Two Betfred Novices' Chase.

Off the track on Saturday, the whole family can join in some festive fun at the fairground, meet Father Christmas and join in the carol singing.

For further information and to book tickets, please go to www.ascot.co.uk

THE LADBROKE

Class 1, Grade 3, £150,000 Total Prize Fund. 3.35pm, Ascot, Saturday, December 21. For four-year-olds and upwards, two miles. Entries closed December 3, entries revealed December 4 (57 entries), weights revealed December 11. Penalties: after December 8, a winner of a hurdle race 5lb; no penalty to increase a horse's weight above 11st 12lb. Five-day confirmation stage December 16, final declaration stage 10.00am, December 19. Form figures supplied by Weatherbys and are correct up to and including, Monday, December 9.

Form     Horse          Age/Wt   Owner              Trainer

2111-15   MELODIC RENDEZVOUS 7-11-12   Cash For Honours         Jeremy Scott

4131-21   PTIT ZIG (FR)       4-11-11   Barry Fulton, Chris Giles & Richard Webb Paul Nicholls

1131/4-3   GRUMETI        5-11-11   McNeill Family           Alan King

1332-12   SAMETEGAL (FR)     4-11-10   John & Barbara Cotton        Paul Nicholls

1165-1     ROLLING STAR (FR)    4-11-10  Michael Buckley & The Vestey Family   Nicky Henderson

4PP0-00   GET ME OUT OF HERE (IRE)  9-11-09 J P McManus           Jonjo O'Neill

3411-00   COURT MINSTREL (IRE) 6-11-09   Janet Davies           Evan Williams

015-112   CALL ME BUBBLES (FR) 4-11-09   Susannah Ricci           Willie Mullins IRE

5141-42    BLUE FASHION (IRE)    4-11-08   John & Barbara Cotton        Nicky Henderson

110-022   SHOTAVODKA (IRE)    7-11-04   Jane Gerard-Pearse         David Pipe

0-21103   RAWNAQ (IRE)     6-11-03  Kevin Smith           Matthew Smith IRE

22202-21   CAID DU BERLAIS (FR) 4-11-03   Donlon, Doyle, MacDonald & C. Barber  Paul Nicholls

1/114-2     CHATTERBOX (IRE)    5-11-03   The Not Afraid Partnership 2      Nicky Henderson

1160-23   CHRIS PEA GREEN    4-11-02    C Green & Galloping On The South Downs Gary Moore

31/2120-3   RIVER MAIGUE (IRE)    6-11-02 Michael Buckley         Nicky Henderson

11213-F   IRISH SAINT (FR)     4-11-02   Mrs Johnny de la Hey        Paul Nicholls

11306-04   RUACANA        4-11-01   Bloomfields           John Ferguson

14-2134   FLAXEN FLARE (IRE)    4-11-01   Pat Sloan            Gordon Elliott IRE

213-20     ZUIDER ZEE (GER)     6-11-00   Bloomfields           John Ferguson

1331-52   DOYLY CARTE       5-11-00   Elite Racing Club         Donald McCain

10F-301   IFANDBUTWHYNOT (IRE) 7-10-13   Claire Hollowood & Henry Dean     David O'Meara

1423-11   CITY SLICKER (IRE)      5-10-12   J P McManus           Willie Mullins IRE

5/2U00-0   CASH AND GO (IRE)    6-10-12   Robin Geffen           Nicky Henderson

P63U-01   VENDOR (FR)       5-10-12   Thurloe 52            Alan King

1/11P-03     CLONDAW KAEMPFER (IRE) 5-10-12 Tim Leslie & David Gorton        Donald McCain

3115-16   PINE CREEK       5-10-11   Bloomfields           John Ferguson

F6//4P03-0   RONALDO DES MOTTES (FR) 8-10-11 K & D Ives            David Pipe

42-14615   WATERUNDER (IRE) 6-10-11   Sarah Clifford           David Pipe

4P/64/-41   DUNRAVEN STORM (IRE) 8-10-11  Karola Vann           Philip Hobbs

140/003-    KAZLIAN (FR)       5-10-10   Twelve Pipers Piping        Johnny Farrelly

2121      DELL' ARCA (IRE)     4-10-10   Prof Caroline Tisdall         David Pipe

3145F3-   LANDSCAPE (FR)     5-10-10   Andew Brooks           Venetia Williams

111/130-   SWING BOWLER     6-10-10   Exors of the late David Johnson     David Pipe

0(2)000-1   RANJAAN (FR)       5-10-09   Highclere Thoroughbred Racing - Ranjaan Paul Nicholls

3300-04   DAN BREEN (IRE)     8-10-09   Stuart & Simon Mercer        David Pipe

32111/B-0   LEXI'S BOY (IRE)     5-10-08   Tim Leslie            Donald McCain

P116/55/0   ALAIVAN (IRE)       7-10-08   J P McManus           Jonjo O'Neill

1315-3F   KAYLIF ARAMIS     6-10-08   The Grangers                               Nigel Twiston-Davies

21(1)15//-0   RECESSION PROOF (FR) 7-10-08   P Taylor & J Stone         John Quinn

1320-050   VULCANITE (IRE)     6-10-08   J P McManus           Charlie Longsdon

1/2205-1   UPAZO (FR)       5-10-08   Philip Reynolds           Willie Mullins IRE

1U3/25-3   DILDAR (IRE)       5-10-06    Mrs Johnny de la Hey        Paul Nicholls

2r10-      BORDONI (USA)     4-10-06   Bloomfields           John Ferguson

500-11     QUICK JACK (IRE)     4-10-05   John Breslin           Tony Martin IRE

10406-1   KNIGHT OF PLEASURE 4-10-05   The Knights Of Pleasure      Gary Moore

2115-     TOTALIZE        4-10-05   D Gilbert, M Lawrence, A Bruce     Brian Ellison

126-110   MAKARI        6-10-05   Matt & Lauren Morgan        Nicky Henderson

052P-11   WILLOW'S SAVIOUR    6-10-04   Triple F Partnership         Dan Skelton

1U05-60   SARABAD (FR)     5-10-04   Susannah Ricci           Willie Mullins IRE

211(1)-     KARAZHAN       5-10-03   Pump & Plant Services Ltd      Nicky Henderson

404233-   CHESIL BEACH BOY    10-10-03   John Coombe           John Coombe

113      FRANCISCAN       5-10-02   Tim Leslie            Donald McCain

11450/-1   MOUJIK BORGET (FR) 5-10-01   Sunday Lunch Partnership      Venetia Williams

41224-20   SEVENTH SKY (GER)    6-10-00   John Heron           Charlie Mann

634-F230   MILORD (GER)       4-10-00   Kim Bailey Racing Partnership VII   Kim Bailey

3/24-4     SNAKE EYES (IRE)     5-9-11    J P McManus           Nicky Henderson

102P6-00   WHITBY JACK       6-9-07    Chris Stedman           Gary Moore

57 entries

7 Irish-trained