Alasi eases clear at Ludlow

Alasi had no trouble landing short odds in today's EBF/TBA Mares' Novices' Chase at Ludlow.

Paul Webber's classy eight-year-old (1-6 favourite) was following up a similarly easy victory over fences at Huntingdon last month, having won a Listed Hurdle at Wetherby first time out this season.

Webber has a plethora of options for the mare, including the final of this series at Newbury, but feels she could be handicapped out of that event.

Another crack at the David Nicholson Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, in which she was fourth last year, could instead be on the cards.

Webber said: "She's had another good education and we'll see what the next step is.

"Dominic (Elsworth) was very worried about the other five who hadn't got experience so he dropped her out.

"She might have an entry Saturday week at Kempton - there's a two-mile novice chase there - and as she hasn't done too much today, if she's fresh and bouncy that might be the right thing to do.

"There are also these very valuable mares' hurdle races around, too, so it's betwixt and between.

"At Cheltenham I suppose she'll be entered in everything except the cross-country race!

"We might have another go at Quevega (in the David Nicholson). She ran very well against her last year and some of those mares may not be there this year.

"She's got faster this year, we ran her over three (miles) last season but she has too much speed to do that.

"I think she may have too much weight for the final but you never know.

"Come March, we might be thinking of Liverpool or Cheltenham," he told Racing UK.