Ballywood best of the bunch

TIPS: Decision to miss festival can pay off for King’s hope

Alan King looks to have found a good opportunity for BALLYWOOD to bag a good prize by way of the Bromfield Sand & Gravel Handicap Chase at Ludlow.

The five-year-old has not had that much racing since joining King from France, but has done little wrong.

He has bumped into one or two aboveaverage performers too, most notably Dynamite Dollars last time at Doncaster and, while he was ultimately no match for the Paul Nicholls hotpot – a leading fancy for the Arkle until meeting with a setback – he showed up well until the favourite asserted.

Interestingly, his first try over fences for King had resulted in victory over another Nicholls runner in Capeland, who was thought good enough to be supplemented for the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

The talk after Doncaster had been of a potential trip to Cheltenham and the Grand Annual for Ballywood, but the decision not to go to the festival promises to be rewarded.

HES NO TROUBLE has a leading chance in the Shropshire Homes

Novices’ Hurdle.

The Kim Bailey-trained six-yearold made a respectable debut in a hot race won by Birchdale at Warwick in December, and confirmed himself useful when making no mistake next time out at Huntingdon.

Making all, he jumped well and while a mistake from the favourite at the last helped matters, it was undoubtedly another step in the right direction.

Keith Dalgleish has two good chances at Sedgefield, led by I’M TO BLAME in the MansionBet Your Favourite Place To Bet Handicap Hurdle.

How far the Paul and Clare Rooneyowned six-year-old can go will only be known when he tests the waters further south, but as yet he has met with defeat just once and is on the up.

TETRAITES STYLE is another for Dalgleish in the God Bless Noreen Surtees Novices’ Handicap Chase.

A mistake three out scuppered his chance at Musselburgh, but that was his first run off a break, so there are plenty of reasons to think he will be involved. SELECTIONS: CHEPSTOW: 2.20 Dragon Khan, 2.50 Episode, 3.25 Deise Aba, 4.00 Angels Antics, 4.35 Treasure Dillon, 5.05 Just Gone Midnight, 5.40 Double Ross.

LUDLOW: 2.30 Falco Blitz, 3.00 Gortroe Joe, 3.35 Hes No Trouble, 4.10 BALLYWOOD (NAP), 4.45 Landsman, 5.15 Ballotin, 5.50 Weapons Out.

SEDGEFIELD: 2.05 Calliope, 2.40 Robbing The Prey, 3.10 Tetraites Style, 3.45 I’m To Blame, 4.20 Enfin Phil, 4.55 Top Man Tim, 5.25 Late Date.

DOUBLE: Hes No Trouble and Ballywood