Hunter Chase - 3.50 Ludlow

[Darran]

Just the 5 runners but an interesting race which is good to see after the one sided affairs we have seen the last couple of days.

I can't have Bletchley Castle over this trip and he's been out stayed over 2m4f here the last twice. I am also happy to be against the favourite Favorito Buck's. Paul Nicholls has always liked a hunter chase, but he seems to have more than ever this year. Some of them are bombproof, but he's had failures as well and Favorito Buck's doesn't look the most solid. He's pulled up on two of his last 3 starts and yes the 3rd in between at Ascot would be form that would probably be good enough to win, but on balance I am happy to take him on.

That leaves us with Call Me Vic and Garde Ville. Garde Ville would be a very poignant winner as it was Lorna Brooke's last ever winner at Sandon earlier in the month and she would have been on board this afternoon. The horse is arguably in the best form he's ever been in. He was eye-catching at Haydock before finishing 2nd over course and distance last month. I didn't think he would have enough speed here a month ago over 2m4f, but he proved me and connections wrong given they thought the same as me. The step up in trip is going to be ideal for him and you can be pretty certain he is going to run his race.

Call Me Vic might be 14 but his trainer has proven that he does wonders with older horses time and time again including when this one won at Sandown in December off a mark of 121. That came off the back of a good run at Cheltenham having been pointing in 2019 winning 4 times and finishing a good 3rd to Earth Leader. His jockey impressed me on Sunday when winning on I'm Wiser Now and he knows this horse well having been on him in his points and his last two starts under rules. After his Sandown win it was stated he would be given a break to come back in the spring for a hunter chase campaign and I expect him to be fully primed for this.

I'm fairly confident one of those two will win and the prices allow both to be backed.

Call Me Vic 1.5pts @ 5/2 with Betfair, BetVictor and Betfred

Garde Ville 1.5pts @ 4/1 with Betfred and BetVictor