Wednesday's Lucky15 Tips Irish racing on Wednesday comes from Punchestown, where it's an all-hurdles card, and they are joined by UK action from Southwell and Ludlow over obstacles and the evening all-weather card at Kempton. Below is a Lucky15 perm for Wednesday's racing action. 13:40 Punchestown — Straight John Jack Kennedy arrives at Punchestown on Wednesday boasting an impressive 28 per cent strike-rate with 10 winners from 36 rides in the preceding fortnight as he continues to lead the way in the Irish jockeys' championship. The in-form pilot has three good chances to add to his tally on this card and perhaps none better than STRAIGHT JOHN in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Maiden Hurdle that opens the card. The Robcour-owned son of Doctor Dino ran with credit in both starts over timber so far. He was sixth in the 21-runner Leopardstown maiden won by stablemate Ballyfad at Christmas, with Leader D'allier in second spot. The winner was agonisingly denied in a Dublin Racing Festival Grade 1 next time, while Leader D'allier beat Straight John into second spot on their next run over this course and distance in January. Both of those rivals are considered leading players in the Grade 1 novice hurdles at next month's Cheltenham Festival and, with seemingly nothing of their ilk in this field, Straight John is taken to open his account now. 14:33 Ludlow - Hornica Ben Pauling's team remain in form, with the handler enjoying a Saturday afternoon treble at Ascot that was headlined by The Jukebox Kid in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase, while he had another winner at Carlisle on Monday with his only runner there as Sound And Fury scored. Kielan Woods partnered one of those Ascot winners and could be set for more success now with the mare HORNICA in the Suzuki ATV EBF 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle at Ludlow. She improved last time to chase home the promising Dan Skelton-trained Getawhisky at Windsor in a Class 2 novice event, her best run from three so far over timber, while she also showed plenty of promise in a Cheltenham bumper last April. She gets an ease in grade here for this Class 4 event and brings the best form to the table. 15:15 Punchestown - How's Hannah Later on the Punchestown card, Kennedy may do well to lower the colours of HOW'S HANNAH for Willie and Patrick Mullins in the Matchbook 50:50 Graduation Series Mares Maiden Hurdle over 2m7f. The mare won a bumper at this track last month 2m on testing ground and, as a three-mile winning pointer, this increased trip promises to suit well now on her jumping debut under Rules. Patrick Mullins keeps the ride having been on board for that course bumper win and the top amateur pilot can continue his good run of form that shows figures of 21411231 since the DRF. 15:55 Southwell - Zamek Olly Murphy runs two in the Gleeds Data Center Derby Maiden Hurdle at Southwell and while champion jockey Sean Bowen seemingly prefers the claims of Pertemps, it could be that stablemate ZAMEK is the one to be with. Both have displayed promise in three hurdle starts, but Pertemps was well fended off in third at Huntingdon last time, albeit the winner could be useful for the Skelton team. Zamek has twice made the frame at Lingfield, either side of finishing fourth at Kempton on Boxing Day in a race that has produced a couple of subsequent winners. He's had a wind op since he ran at Lingfield last month and that, allied to the step up in trip here, makes him a likely candidate under Robbie Dunne.
