Ladbrokes World Hurdle - Analysis

The Ladbrokes World Hurdle is the feature championship event on Thursday, March 16, at The Festival and brings together the best three-mile hurdlers in Europe for what is always a fascinating contest. This season’s 50-strong entry is 15 more than in 2005 and is the biggest since 2001 when 56 were entered for the Grade One contest.

With last season’s victor Inglis Drever sidelined through injury, Baracouda heads an entry packed with seasoned championship contenders and exciting young pretenders.

Baracouda proved himself one of the greatest three-mile hurdlers of all time with victory in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle in 2002 and 2003. Francois Doumen’s 11-year-old finished runner-up the past two seasons and could bid to become the first three-time winner of the race.

The Frenchman has also entered Blue Canyon and the hugely exciting Millenium Royal, winner of a Grade One hurdle at Auteuil on November 5.

Last year’s successful trainer Howard Johnson also has three entries, chief among them being last season’s Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle winner No Refuge who held Blue Canyon in second at Windsor in November. The County Durham trainer could also field the classy Royal Rosa, who has been off the track since February 2005, and Akilak who failed to fire in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton behind Feathard Lady last time.

Martin Pipe has won the prestigious contest twice with Balasani in 1994 and Cyborgo two years later and the champion trainer has the strongest entry numerically with six. Westender, second to Rooster Booster in the 2003 Champion Hurdle, finished fourth to Inglis Drever in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle last year. He filled the same position behind The French Furze at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

The Pipe contingent also includes the veteran It Takes Time, and 2003 Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle winner Classified, who has been off the course since finishing fourth to Baracouda in that year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. Lough Derg, Korelo and Standin Obligation, a winner at The Open in November but below-par when pulled-up at Haydock later that month, complete the Pipe sextet.

Pipe, Doumen and Nicky Henderson are the only trainers who could match Fulke Walwyn’s record of three wins in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, should they saddle successful horse this term. Henderson, who trained Rustle to success in 1989 and Bacchanal in 2000, has entered classy dual-purpose performer Dancing Bay, and The Market Man.

Irish runners have won the race on nine occasions, most recently in 1995 when Doran’s Pride scored for Michael Hourigan. This year there is a 13-strong entry from the Emerald Isle including the John Queally-trained Al Eile. The six-year-old ran a fine seventh in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle last season and then defeated Inglis Drever over two and a half miles in the Grade One Aintree Hurdle three weeks later.

Asian Maze won the Grade One John Smith’s Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree last April. Tom Mullins’ classy mare then posted an impressive performance on her latest start when capturing the Menolly Homes Champion Novices Hurdle at Punchestown later that month. She has also been entered for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

Rosaker took Leopardstown’s Christmas Hurdle last time, defeating Emotional Moment and Strangley Brown, who was a Grade One Hurdle winner at Auteuil in June, while Holy Orders was last of the five runners.

Essex, winner of last season’s Pierse Hurdle and totesport Trophy, could take his chance. The six-year-old ran second to Brave Inca in the Morgiana Hurdle in November before a disappointing effort behind the same rival in the December Festival Hurdle.

Golden Cross won his first two races back after a lengthy lay-off and then went down by a short head to Solerina in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at the beginning of December. Last season’s classy novice Royal Paradise finished last of six that day while Don’t Be Bitin, Rooftop Protest, The Joker and Davenport Milenium complete the Irish entry.

Jonjo O’Neill trained Iris’s Gift to a thrilling victory over Baracouda in 2004 and the Jackdaws Castle trainer could be four-handed this time.

Rhinestone Cowboy is the proven performer in O’Neill’s quartet but has been off the course since a scintillating victory over stablemate Iris’s Gift in the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in April, 2004. That success followed a brilliant defeat of Rooster Booster in the Aintree Hurdle.

The unbeaten Black Jack Ketchum is one of the season’s leading staying novices and won the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle over the course and distance in December. Fire Dragon and Exotic Dancer could also line up for O’Neill.

Alan King was assistant trainer to David Nicholson when the latter saddled Anzum to land the 1999 renewal. King has entered Crystal D’Ainay, who was third in this race in 2004 but pulled-up last term, along with My Way De Solzen, who defeated Inglis Drever in the Long Walk Hurdle at Chepstow last time.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Neptune Collonges was second in the Long Walk Hurdle and the Ditcheat handler also has My Will engaged.

Arnaud Chaille-Chaille has entered two, giving the French a five-strong entry. Ambobo defeated a classy field of novices at Cheltenham a year ago in the Grade Two Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Novices’ Hurdle but hasn’t raced since, while Sunspot was third to Millenium Royal in Grade One company at Auteuil last time. Both are also in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle

Brewster was a model of consistency last season. He was second to Ambobo that January and then ran third behind Moulin Riche in the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle at The Festival. The nine-year-old has disappointed in two starts this term.

Mighty Man went through last season’s novice campaign unbeaten. Henry Daly’s six-year-old defeated The Market Man at Cheltenham in December and returned to the course in January when he was beaten a head by The French Furze.

Nigel Twiston-Davies could have three runners - Redemption, Mistanoora and Tramantano, who was well-held behind Jim Old’s Attorney General in a three-mile handicap at the course on New Year’s Day, as was Sh Boom.

Patriarch Express landed the 2005 Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle but has not raced since running fourth to Crystal D’Ainay in the Rendlesham Hurdle in February, while Starzaan returned from an absence of 20 months to finish third in the Long Walk Hurdle at Chepstow last time.

It’s Just Harry ran second to Marcel in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle in 2005 but was disappointing on his sole start this season, while It’s Wallace Jnr will have to step up on his handicap form to be competitive.

Lord Sam was a top-class novice hurdler in 2003 who has been running over fences while the 12-year-old Carly’s Quest won last season’s Grade One Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown but has not fired this season.