Ludd Primed For Winter Tilt

Jonathan Portman hopes the top weights stand their ground to allow Ned Ludd to take his chance in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The four-year-old also has entries in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the JCB Triumph Hurdle but the Fred Winter is his trainer's preference.

The Montjeu gelding currently has 11st 4lb ? just 8lb off top weight ? and Portman does not want him to carry much more.

'Touch-wood he's fine and we're still hoping to run him in a race at Cheltenham,' said the Compton-based handler.

'The Fred Winter is the most likely. He's got a lot of weight but if the top weights stay in that's good enough for us.

'If we end up carrying top weight then we may have to think again.

'We'll probably confirm him for the Triumph on the Friday there too.

'The Supreme Novices' is on the first day, like the Fred Winter, and that gives us another option, but it's looking as though the Fred Winter is what we are going to run in.'

The prospect of soft ground does not concern Portman.

'He seems to have gone OK on the soft. Obviously nothing really likes heavy but I don't think he'll mind it,' he continued.

'He's only a little horse so carrying a lot of weight in heavy round is not ideal.'

Ned Ludd, formerly trained on the Flat by Richard Hannon, has made a bright start to his hurdling career.

After making a winning debut at Folkestone in November, he has been placed against the cream of juvenile hurdlers, including leading Triumph fancies, Katchit and Mountain.

'He took to hurdling very well from the start, it's just unfortunate he's attracted so much attention from the handicapper,' added Portman.

'That was just a risk we took running him in the good races he did run in.'

Ned Ludd has had a different jockey in each of his last four races and Portman has yet to finalise riding plans.

'We've got a few irons in the fire at the moment, but no-one in ink yet,' he said.

'He's a very straight forward ride and very honest as well.'

Ned Ludd is 20-1 for the Fred Winter, 100-1 for the Supreme Novices' and 50-1 for the Triumph.

(C) PA Sport