5 meetings today

Plenty of action today, with 5 meetings, but none of it at a very high level. The best racing comes from Ludlow, and the main event here is the 3 mile handicap chase at 15.35 CET. Leading owner JP McManus has two runners here, Made in Time (Rebecca Curtis/ Tony McCoy) and Chesapeake (Jonjo O´Neill/ Alan Berry), and the presence of the champion jockey on the former´s back suggests that he is the number one hope.

This is an open race and German-bred and ex-Irish Ten Fires (Tor Sturgis/ Felix de Giles), having his first race for this trainer, and Time for Spring (Charlie Longsdon/ Felix de Giles) are others with chances. Felix de Giles can also win the chase at 14.00 on another German-bred, Alpha Way, who has won his last two races, both at Hereford, very easily , making most of the running each time, and still on a lenient mark. McCoy can finish the afternoon by riding the last two winners for Nicky Henderson, Brave Alliance in the mares novice hurdle at 16.10 and My Tent or Yours in the bumper at 16.40; both are debutants, but the stable could hardly be in better form.

David Pipe and Tom Scudamore look the team to follow at Ffos Las. They can take the opening 3yo hurdle at 13.40 with Kazlian, the handicap chase over 3 miles+ at 15,45 with Take Over Sivola, the handicap hurdle at 16.20 with Sure Josie San own brother to the smart Grands Crus. They also have a good chance in the novice hurdle at 14.10 with another debutant Ashbrittle, out of a German mare, while Big Easy (Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson), out of a Monsun mare, looks the main danger. In the handicap hurdle at 15.15 we like the chances of top-weight Numide (Rod Millman/ Nick Scholfield); his recent form is uninspiring, but he is dropping in grade here. The Irish meeting at Downpatrick has nothing special on offer, but Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh can continue their winning ways with Felix Yonger and Tawaagg in the first two races.

The all-weather meetings, at Wolverhampton this afternoon and Kempton this evening, are also very ordinary. At the former meeting Woolfall Soverign (George Margarson/ Ian Mongan) may benefit from a drop in distance in the 6 furlongs handicap at 16.00, while at Kempton Reach for the Bucks (Rae Guest/ Kieren Fallon), who won 3 races within a week in February, including this CD, can get back on the winning trail at 19.15.