Shelford to get the Christmas holiday off to a flyer

Like most blokes, I'm brutal at buying presents so I told her to circle a dozen items in the catalogue to give me a few gift ideas and I'd eventually decide on one of them.

The gifts she's circled range in price from a pony (€25) to half a monkey (€250) and the pressure's now on to buy her something which doesn't make me look cheap, while at the same time trying not to break in on my Leopardstown post-Christmas betting pot.

Perhaps she'd care more about the Ladbroke Hurdle if she knew the price of her present largely depends on how the result pans out and, if Shelford manages to win or place this afternoon for trainer Dan Skelton, the wife will wake up on Christmas morning a happy woman.

Skelton knows the sort it takes to win having saddled last year's winner (Willow's Saviour) in what was a first major success for Paul Nicholls' former assistant. A decent enough sort on the flat, Shelford is relatively unexposed over timber and this is the type of race that is often won by an up and coming improver.

While his mark has gone up to 134 for a couple of wins at Chepstow including the Silver Trophy Handicap, that rating looks very reasonable considering one of the horses he beat, Aubusson, has since gone on to win the Fixed Brush Hurdle at Haydock.

Shelford needs a bit of rain and, although I don't often go each-way at odds in the region of 7/1, he looks a cracking bet at that price on soft ground, with a bit of insurance money paid if he only manages to place.

It would be a great way to kick off the Christmas racing season and I'll be very surprised if he's not thereabouts.

As it happens, another former assistant to Paul Nicholls provides the main danger to the bet in the guise of Activial.

Harry Fry's four-year-old also looks unexposed and won the Grade Two Adonis at Kempton in February. He failed to fire later at Aintree but his mark of 137 may well turn out to be lenient.

Yet although he won on soft ground at Kempton, we can't say for sure he'll enjoy the testing conditions and as such, I reckon he looks a little short at 9/2.

Earlier on in the Long Walk Hurdle (2.25 Ascot), I've decided to side with Zarkandar at the relatively short price of 6/5 although I must admit I've played this one over in my head for a couple of days and it's not the most confident bet I've ever placed.

The aforementioned Aubusson is in with a shout at 8/1, while Medinas (3/1) comes here having won the Grade Two Long distance hurdle at Newbury.

Previous winners have a good record in this race so Reve de Sivola (4/1) is respected, while the outsider of the lot, Dell' Arca, will appreciate the cut in the ground. But having won a Grade One at Auteuil recently, Zarkandar is still the one to beat.

Each Way

THIS time last year, the Philip Hide trained Uramazin was rated 99 but he struggled badly at that level and finished last in a number of his races since. The handicapper finally cut him some slack and the gelding came back to form off 90 when placed at 33/1 at Wolverhampton recently.

The eight-year-old runs off the same mark again today in the Coral Mobile Handicap (2.0 Lingfield) and in a nine-runner field, the 14/1 on offer in the early markets looks a little too generous.

Today's selections

12.55 Lingfield: Percy Alleline

1.00 Haydock: Vivaccio

2.0 Lingfield: Uramazin (e/w)

2.25 Ascot: Zarkandar

2.35 Lingfield: Baltic Knight

3.30 Ascot: Shelford (e/w)