'We've maybe been going down the wrong path with her' - can the longer trip see Iorens bounce back?

A seriously competitive mares' handicap in which bookmakers were struggling to choose between a few at the head of the betting when the first shows arrived.

Just holding sway was last-time-out five-length winner Flying Nun, who proved she has no issues with fast ground at Newbury just over a week ago, although officially she is not well handicapped as she runs under a 7lb penalty but has been raised just 5lb by the handicapper.

Still, she's now 3-11 over hurdles and her two successes last season came back to back at a similar time of year.

Lily Glitters is another in-form mare coming here after a commanding success, in her case a five-and-a-length win at Hereford, where she looked in trouble jumping three out but rallied for pressure and won going away.

That was over 3m1½f and this drop back to a bare 3m may not be a help, but she has won over the distance on her last two Ludlow appearances, while trainer Henry Daly trains more winners at the track than he does anywhere else.

Daly is also on a hat-trick, having won with his last two runners, and he has booked 7lb claimer Alice Stevens (5-11 for the yard this season with two seconds) to negate the 6lb rise.

Lets Go To Vegas and Iorens, first and second at Market Rasen in November but both well held since, are the least exposed pair on show and could have more to offer, while in-form Lucy Wadham has Terresita on a good mark and has also booked a claimer for the six-year-old, who was beaten just a head on her only previous visit to the track.

That was on soft ground but she has won two of her four starts on good and she hasn't been disgraced, largely in better company, this season.

Add Ucanaver, who returns from a near miss in December with her trainer Anthony Honeyball having gone 6-11 in the past fortnight, and this is one tough race to solve.
Race analysis by Paul Kealy

What they say

Jonjo O’Neill, trainer of Sacre Coeur
She’s very in and out and I would say she’s drinking in the last chance saloon for us.

Henry Daly, trainer of Lily Glitters
We hope the ground is good rather than soft and hopefully she can run a nice race. She’s up in the weights but we’re claiming off her by putting up Alice Stevens, who has won on her before.

Alastair Ralph, trainer of Lets Go To Vegas
The bit of rain they’ve had will help her chances and she’s been freshened up since her last run. She won well at Market Rasen before Christmas but it took a bit out of her so we’ve taken our time since.

Dan Skelton, trainer of lorens
She’s going up significantly in trip as we maybe went down the wrong path with her as she shows pace at home. She stayed well when winning her point-to-point so hopefully this distance will suit her better.

Tom Bellamy, rider of Flying Nun
She won well at Newbury recently and has come out of that well, hence why she’s out again. Hopefully the ground dries back out and if it went quick it would be even better.

Kerry Lee, trainer of Kraqueline
She’s run her best races on soft ground so we’ll be walking the track beforehand but hopefully it should be okay for all our horses. She’s up in trip and is short on experience, but she’s a chaser in the making.
Reporting by David Milnes

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