Ashdown Forest tops the market at 11/4 for the Annual Membership For Christmas Female Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, leading a Skelton trio as part of a seven-runner field over two miles and seventy yards on turf at Stratford. The Class 5 event features good ground, with good to firm in places, and an off time of 17:25 resulting in a winning time of 4m 3.46s.
Runner Analysis and Market Leaders
Ashdown Forest heads the betting after building up a good record at the track with two wins and a third from three runs, finding a bit of improvement to see off a well-backed competitor over course and distance last time. Carrying a weight of 11-8 under jockey Miss Heidi Palin (5) for trainer D Skelton, the four-year-old front runner with an official rating of 95 is expected to get to the lead again and is capable of another bold bid off a 3 lb higher mark. Mayday Games at 2/1 and Mojo Ego at 4/1 head the dangers in a tricky finale.
Mayday Games is a lightly-raced three-year-old hurdler with an official rating of 99, partnered by Lily Pinchin for trainer James Owen with a weight of 10-10. Following a runner-up hurdling debut at the track and a fortunate victory in another small-field course and distance event in July, the gelding took a 9¼-length fourth at Uttoxeter at 14/1 latest, though a 1 lb reprieve may not be enough. Mojo Ego, aged six with a weight of 11-4 and an official rating of 90, is ridden by Anna McGuinness (7) for trainer Nick Scholfield. After landing the odds on debut for Dan Skelton at Uttoxeter in July, Mojo Ego recorded solid form in defeat before finishing third to a couple of next-time-out winners at Bangor over 2½m, with a return to 2m expected to help resume winning ways.
Contenders and Competitors
Other runners in the Stratford field include Ballyearl, aged six with a weight of 11-13 and an official rating of 99, ridden by Fern O’Brien (5) for trainer F O’Brien. Ballyearl failed to offer much in a couple of starts for Henry de Bromhead following a summer absence, was sold out of that yard for only £800, and was pulled up on stable debut at Cartmel over 2¾m in late-August.
Lucky Sevens, aged five with a weight of 11-11 and an official rating of 97, is ridden by Rebecca Hitchen (7) for trainer S England. Suited by an emphasis on speed, Lucky Sevens secured 2 wins from 4 starts for the present yard in a course handicap over 2¼m last month and shaped as if still in form when finishing 12 lengths fourth at Worcester latest, appealing in a bid to make it 2-2 at the track.
Made All, aged seven carrying 11-9 with an official rating of 95, is partnered by Miss Gina Andrews for trainer S Lycett. Made All built on earlier promise by narrowly opening a hurdle account under the emerging claimer at Sedgefield over 17f on good ground last time, though a 3 lb higher mark may prevent a double in this competitive race.
Raffles Nobu completes the lineup, priced at 17/2.
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