Ludlow

The least experienced horse in the field by some distance — just five career races compared to a field average of 17 — and his recent form includes a 14th place finish beaten over 90 lengths. He's had wind surgery, which can spark improvement, but there's very little evidence yet that he's ready to compete at this level. At 9.5 in the market, the betting public seems to agree.

The editorial verdict singles this horse out by name, and the recent form backs that up — back-to-back second-place finishes at Taunton and Huntingdon show he is in a very good place right now. He carries 12lbs less than the top weight, which is a meaningful advantage over three miles. The main concern is that Ludlow is a right-handed, galloping track, and he hasn't won on that type of course in five attempts.

He won at Warwick yesterday — that's right, just one day ago — which is an extraordinary turnaround and immediately raises questions about how much he has left in the tank for today. His record on normal ground conditions is the best in the field (three wins from 16 races on this type of surface), so the conditions suit. Whether any horse can back up a win within 24 hours over three miles of chasing is the question everyone will be asking.

The standout angle here is hard to ignore: the only course winner in the field, with two wins from four races at Ludlow, and he won here just 18 days ago. At 11 years old he is the most experienced horse in the race by a mile — 35 career races against a field average of 17 — and he clearly loves this track. He carries the lowest weight alongside Redbridge Rambler, and right now he is the horse in form.