Horse Racing Tips: The evidence points to Destroy at Ludlow

Aintree’s Grand National meeting kicks off on Thursday but we’ve got an intriguing day of action to look forward to on Wednesday before that. There are five meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland and Musselburgh gets us under way, before they go at Ludlow and Exeter, whilst Gowran’s twilight meeting is followed by Southwell in the evening.

Amongst our strongest fancies across the day is a runner for Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls who is likely to thrive in the conditions and could be set for a return to winning ways.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

15:25 Exeter - Espoir Des Forges @ 11/2

The prolonged spell of dry weather means conditions at Exeter are very quick, with the ground officially described as good, good to firm in places. Only certain types of horse are suited by this very fast ground and ESPOIR DES FORGES could be one of them.

This son of Doctor Dino has only had four starts over hurdles thus far and his two best performances came on good ground at Warwick last spring. He chased home an odds-on Willie Mullins-trained runner in May and that’s a solid piece of form.

Making his handicap debut on Wednesday, a mark of 110 certainly doesn’t look unfair and his best form suggests he should be very competitive. You’ll need to forgive a bitterly disappointing display at Market Rasen last time but that run was probably too bad to be true.

Super Saint showed improvement to win on handicap debut and looks like the biggest danger but Mel Rowley’s runner stands out more and we should see a much better performance from him.

15:37 Musselburgh - Spartan Arrow @ 6/4

SPARTAN ARROW looked in need of the run when well beaten behind Paddy’s Day on stable debut at Newcastle in February and he’s 6lb better off with that rival this time around. Clearly improving significantly for it at Wolverhampton next time, he duly obliged.

The handicapper has pushed him up 2lb for that success, which came by the narrowest of margins, but it shouldn’t cause him too much trouble. Two of his three wins have come on the turf so returning to the grass should be a positive.

Hollie Doyle is in the saddle once again and he should have every chance, despite carrying top weight. Archie Watson’s gelding has a fitness edge over all bar three of his seven rivals and that can often prove to be an advantage at this time of year.

15:45 Ludlow - Destroytheevidence @ 5/4

Conditions are also pretty quick at Ludlow and the official going description is good, which will very much play to the strengths of Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls’ runner DESTROYTHEEVIDENCE.

In seven starts on good ground, he has only finished outside of the first three once and that came in a Grade 2 novice hurdle, where he wasn’t disgraced back in fourth. There’s plenty in his favour with that in mind and a return to winning ways is anticipated sooner rather than later.

He beat Cheltenham Festival winner Haiti Couleurs back in October, although that rival did turn the tables at Cheltenham in December. A mark of 136 shouldn’t be beyond him and it’s hard to find a rival to take him on with.

His narrow second to Deafening Silence in a novice chase at Warwick on unsuitable ground was a good effort and this looks like a good opportunity to return to the winner’s enclosure.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.