Ludlow Course Guide

Racing takes place at Ludlow throughout the winter months with its feature race being the Forbra Gold Cup run in late February. The race, named in honour of Forbra, a 50/1 winner of the 1932 Grand National whose owner was based in Ludlow, usually attracts a competitive field.

Notable horses that have got their nose in front at the Shropshire track include 2009 Champion Hurdler Punjabi, Tamarinbleu, winner of the 2008 Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot, and Taranis, winner of the 2007 Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham festival.

Jumps Racing

A sharp, right-handed, oval track, with a nine-fence chase circuit about a mile and a half and a run-in of 250 yards. The fences are easy, though the first fence in the home straight can catch horses out. The hurdle course, which runs on the outside of the chase course, has easier turns. Whereas the chase course is flat, the hurdle course has slight undulations but they rarely provide difficulties for a long-striding horse.

My old boss, Nicky Henderson, loves Ludlow and the list of horses to have won there reads like a who’s who of jump racing stars. That’s because, in order to be successful, you need one with a lot of speed - and you can win races over two miles with a non-stayer, just as long it wastes little time in the air. The fences are easy - some horses practically hurdle them - but, until they re-sited the first fence in the straight, we used to call it ‘Trappy Trevor’. It doesn’t seem to catch so many out these days.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Ludlow Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 7f 212y	Matterhorn (Good)	12 May 2024	3m 51.24s
2m 4f 11y	Runswick Bay (Good)	06 Oct 2021	4m 47.1s
2m 7f 171y	Hold Your Fort (Good to Firm)	08 Oct 2025	5m 52.31s
3m 1f 125y	Minniemum (Good)	06 Nov 2025	6m 34.1s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 7f 169y	See The Sea (Good)	06 Oct 2021	3m 30.4s
2m 5f 55y	Une De La Seniere (Good)	06 Oct 2021	4m 53.3s
2m 7f 174y	Hardy Fella (Good to Soft)	26 Apr 2023	5m 40.85s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 6f 7y	Tchoupinminzac (Soft)	20 Jan 2022	3m 25.5s
1m 7f 169y	Martha Willow (Good)	06 Oct 2021	3m 33.3s

Ludlow Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Miss V Williams	40	7	18	£41,406	17.5%	-£5.63
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	31	7	17	£50,227	22.58%	-£1.07
Evan Williams	38	7	13	£53,075	18.42%	-£6.17
Dan Skelton	24	7	9	£47,341	29.17%	£10.00
H D Daly	33	5	17	£29,630	15.15%	-£20.63
Sheila Lewis	27	4	7	£24,821	14.81%	-£2.50
O Greenall & J Guerriero	16	3	9	£18,967	18.75%	£6.63
M Sheppard	11	3	5	£17,955	27.27%	£3.20
P F Nicholls	10	3	4	£19,232	30%	-£3.73
Miss E C Lavelle	10	3	4	£21,322	30%	-£2.63

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
F O'Brien	66	14	21	£66,317	21.21%	-£17.66
A Ralph	71	11	29	£57,002	15.49%	£12.41
B Pauling	27	11	11	£50,286	40.74%	£25.13
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	41	8	18	£36,833	19.51%	-£8.28
Miss E C Lavelle	21	8	4	£38,716	38.1%	£14.80
H D Daly	44	6	18	£24,838	13.64%	£4.60
K C Bailey	29	5	15	£20,861	17.24%	-£8.27
Evan Williams	38	5	12	£37,213	13.16%	-£7.25
N J Henderson	27	5	12	£34,822	18.52%	-£19.36
Jamie Snowden	16	5	7	£36,142	31.25%	-£1.59

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
F O'Brien	11	4	3	£13,072	36.36%	£12.50
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	11	2	4	£6,263	18.18%	£0.83
Jonjo & A J O'Neill	6	1	3	£3,268	16.67%	£2.50
Evan Williams	6	1	2	£3,812	16.67%	-£0.50
C E Longsdon	5	1	2	£3,268	20%	£3.00
Harry Derham	3	1	2	£3,268	33.33%	-£0.50
N J Henderson	6	1	1	£3,268	16.67%	£0.00
Jamie Snowden	3	1	1	£3,268	33.33%	£0.13
Miss S West	3	1	1	£2,451	33.33%	£6.00
N P Mulholland	3	1	1	£3,268	33.33%	£23.00

Ludlow Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sam Twiston-Davies	38	5	25	£32,215	13.16%	-£19.94
Charlie Deutsch	33	5	15	£34,855	15.15%	-£5.09
Adam Wedge	21	5	10	£38,288	23.81%	£2.58
Toby McCain-Mitchell	12	5	4	£30,642	41.67%	£14.00
Charlie Hammond	7	5	0	£31,158	71.43%	£11.48
H Cobden	10	4	4	£27,990	40%	-£1.17
J J Burke	23	3	13	£14,787	13.04%	-£4.13
James Best	22	3	10	£14,259	13.64%	£10.50
R Patrick	15	3	8	£14,787	20%	-£6.30
Callum Pritchard	8	3	5	£17,114	37.5%	£4.70

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Sam Twiston-Davies	61	14	29	£62,895	22.95%	£2.30
J J Burke	59	11	25	£50,583	18.64%	£0.52
Thomas Bellamy	37	9	14	£41,522	24.32%	£3.30
R Patrick	24	5	9	£25,893	20.83%	£29.50
G Sheehan	25	5	8	£35,746	20%	-£13.76
James Bowen	24	4	15	£29,673	16.67%	-£13.69
H Cobden	22	4	12	£17,692	18.18%	£0.85
Ben Jones	25	4	11	£19,177	16%	-£11.08
Paul O'Brien	16	4	10	£17,428	25%	-£7.29
Joe Anderson	19	4	9	£18,616	21.05%	£9.75

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Jack Hogan	2	2	0	£6,536	100%	£16.00
Sam Twiston-Davies	11	1	5	£3,812	9.09%	-£6.67
Thomas Bellamy	5	1	2	£2,451	20%	£2.50
J J Burke	4	1	2	£3,268	25%	£22.00
G Sheehan	7	1	1	£3,268	14.29%	-£3.88
C J Todd	4	1	1	£2,451	25%	£0.00
Paul O'Brien	3	1	1	£3,268	33.33%	-£0.50
Isabel Williams	2	1	1	£3,812	50%	£4.50
M Goldstein	2	1	0	£2,451	50%	£7.00
C Gethings	2	1	0	£3,268	50%	£0.88