Racing tips: Malaita’s front running tactics will be well suited to Ludlow

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Paseo is on a good handicap mark but he doesn't seem too interested in racing at the moment, as his form would suggest. He wasn't jumping great at the beginning from the rear, so Charlie quicky made a move to lead and his jumping improved, but he started to struggle a fair way from home and was eventually pulled up.

Musselburgh 1:20 – Pozo Emery 7/1 (1pt, Bet365)

With two Irish horses in this race, it makes it an interesting race, and whenever the Irish send them over they have to be respected, but it doesn't mean you should just back them blind or not go against them. Pozo Emery is a risky selection given that he might bounce on the back of his recent run at Haydock, but I thought he shaped nicely that day and left Laura Morgan with something to work on.

The race at Haydock on heavy ground was brutal, Pembroke handled the conditions better than the rest that day and was the only finisher, but I thought Pozo Emery was running a nice race and best of the rest until getting very tired and Kevin Brogan made the correct decision to pull him up as it was his first race in over 900 days. It wasn't an ideal comeback to race on that type of ground, as heavy at Aintree is normally very testing and more testing than heavy on other tracks, plus he lost a shoe that day which is never what you want, especially on ground like that.

That was the horse's first run over fences, and he showed a good aptitude for the larger obstacles and made it look like there were races to be won off his current handicap mark. He was a useful novice hurdler back in 2021 for Paul Nicholls, and has some good form, especially finishing ahead of Blackjack Magic and Light N Strike who are both 139+ rated chasers now. Laura won this race 12 months ago with a second-raced chaser, so it's interesting they've taken the same route with this horse and if they rate Pozo Emery in the same regard as Notlongtillmay who won this a year ago, we'll be cooking on gas.

Musselburgh 2:30 – Percy Willis 11/1 (0.5pt EW, 4pl)

On paper this looks to be a tough handicap, but I thought there was an interesting angle to be taken on Percy Willis.

This horse should be better than his current handicap mark of 92 as he is a decent handicapper on the flat, currently rated 71 which has seen him win four times and he has been placed a further twelve times. The interesting angle is that all four of his wins on the flat have come with cheekpieces applied, but from his five hurdle runs to date the cheekpieces have been missing, but they come on for the first time today, and that could be an indicator that today is the day he gets his head in front.

Henry Brooke takes the ride and this is his only ride of the day, which makes this runner an even more interesting bet for Friday.

Ludlow 1:00 – Malaita 5/2 (2pt, WilliamHill)

There could be a few in this race who are on good handicap marks, but the one I thought could capitalise on their current rating the most was Malaita.

I was against this mare when she ran at Cheltenham in a tough race last time out, I thought she wouldn't be good enough, and she did eventually fall three from home but I thought she shaped like a horse ahead of her mark and this drop in grade could see her get a first win over fences on the board.

She was jumping for fun at Cheltenham last time out, and she showed the same fluidity over fences at Warwick the time before that, so she clearly enjoys the larger obstacles and given that they like to run from the front with her, she could take some stopping around this course which suits the quicker types. The form of her two completions looks solid and in comparison to today's opposition, I think she has raced against better horses and they have franked the form. La Renommee was 2nd in a Listed race at Doncaster last week, Marsh Wren was 2nd in a Listed race behind Arclight and Moviddy was 3rd in that race too.

Charlie Deutsch is on board and he's the man for a front running chaser, so it's a great booking.

Ludlow 2:45 – Haut Folin 3/1 (1pt, Bet365)

Charlie Deutsch gave my Thursday selection a bit of a strange ride, but I still rate him highly and I think he has another good chance of getting a winner at Ludlow on Friday with Haut Folin.

I stuck this horse up on seasonal reappearance at Ffos Las and he won nicely and looked to be ahead of the handicapper. He was travelling well on his next start just 11 days later, but pecked on landing three from home and his confidence went. I didn't tip him up on the second time because it was a bit soon after the Ffos Las race and he was carrying 12st 1lbs, but though he was beaten by 21L I do think there is more to come from him off the same mark as last time and 7lbs higher than his win easy win.

This race consists of three horses aged 10 or older and the top weight has done very little in recent runs, so I feel like the younger and fresher horse in Haut Folin can bounce back to form with that 43 day break and prove to be still on a good mark.

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