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By Dylan Jenear ValueChecker

Aegean Dawn and Tocca Ferro Among Entries for Ladbroke Hurdle
06/12/10

There are some cracking races to look forward to in the lead up to, and during, the Festive period, so let’s hope that Jack Frost doesn’t put in too many appearances during the next few weeks. One of the most intriguing contests looking at the ante-post markets is The Ladbroke Hurdle, due to be run at Ascot on Saturday December 18.

Mille Chief
© racing-images.co.uk

Heading the betting at a best-priced 5-1 with the sponsors is the Nicky Henderson-trained Aegean Dawn, who has yet to taste defeat following four starts. The five-year-old is a big, strapping gelding and justified strong support on his reappearance in a 23-runner handicap at Cheltenham before following up in good style over The Ladbroke C&D in November when showing good acceleration after the last to see of Mille Chief, eventually coming home 4½ lengths clear of that rival, with a sizeable gap back to the third.

Aegean Dawn was well ahead of the assessor when scoring at this Berkshire venue, despite being 5lb out of the handicap. He will meet Mille Chief on significantly worse terms on December 18, but the son of Alflora possesses plenty of scope for further improvement and, in all truth, is probably more worthy of his current mark than Alan King’s charge, so there is a good chance that Aegean Dawn will again finish in front of Mille Chief.

One with a similar profile to Aegean Dawn is Tocca Ferro, who is known as ‘The Ferrari’ within the Emma Lavelle stable. The grey landed a Listed handicap over this C&D at October before following up at Newbury a month later when defying an 8lb rise in decisive fashion, proving over two lengths too strong for Rebel Dancer in the race registered as the Gerry Fielden.

Tocca Ferro has been upped another 7lb, but in both of his races this term he has scored with, one suspects, a bit more in hand than the margin of his victories suggest. The five-year-old isn’t the type that wants to be in front too soon, and given that The Ladbroke will be run at a blistering pace, it’s not hard to envisage the race panning out in his favour, and this strong-travelling type is 8-1 with the sponsors.

Toubab
© racing-images.co.uk

Toubab is another lightly-raced hurdler going places. Paul Nicholls’ charge was mightily impressive when returning to action at Haydock last month. It was only a four-runner race that the French import landed, but it was a quality contest and he couldn’t have done it any easier, always travelling supremely well and he sauntered clear after the last under Sam Thomas, winning hard held, coming home eight lengths in advance of nearest pursuer Drill Sergeant.

The four-year-old has been raised 10lb, but falls very much into the ‘could be anything’ category, while Oscar Whisky, fourth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Bothy and Salden Licht are also interesting prospects, and certainly won’t be making up the numbers if going to post for this Listed handicap.

Aegean Dawn is a monster of a horse and looks the one to beat, but I feel that Tocca Ferro could still be well handicapped, so he is the recommended ante-post bet.

Recommendation: Tocca Ferro