Wednesday racing tips: Dave Nevison fancies three at Ludlow

A lack of eight-runner handicaps (or more) over Jumps leads me to this juvenile fillies’ hurdles and by default to the Williams/Deutsch combination, as Pink Breeze will not need to be that good to score on her racecourse debut. 

She is certainly bred to be a decent jumper, being a half-sister to the useful Pink Legend, and the best of her opposition were beaten in a three-horse race at Fakenham on debut, so look modest to say the least. 

Charlie Longsdon has his string in good form with three winners already in December and Zestful Hope signalled his turn was near with a solid second last time out at Uttoxeter. 

His penultimate start at Bangor, where he finished fourth, has worked out exceptionally well, so it is fair to say Zestful Hope is back at the top of his game. He has run well over fences off higher marks than here and his chance is obvious. 

Mactavish looks a decent each-way play here, having returned to form over a slightly shorter trip last time. Moving back up a couple of furlongs will suit him well. 

The seven-year-old is just 2lb higher than when he won back in the summer and he has run a couple of good races off marks above 100. 

He has also lost a shoe on a couple of occasions since that win, as well as being tried at 3m, which seems to stretch his stamina reserves. 

Mactavish achieved his best rating over this course and distance and a look at Izzie Hill’s record suggests her 5lbs claim is an asset.