Carlisle Monday Review

Four runners yielding a couple of runner up spots, an unplaced and a pulled up. Mixed day.

Our Elsie ran reasonably well eventually finishing in 8th in the opening 2m 1f novices hurdle after tracking the leading group until the pace was upped in earnest approaching 2 out. This was a novice run at a good gallop throughout - the time was 9 seconds faster than the 0-105 handicap run a couple of hours later.
Our Elsie jumped more fluently at this faster pace and she will come on for the run. She should get her handicap mark after her next outing.

Eternally Yours was fancied to be competitive in the 2m 3f handicap hurdle but was never travelling and the writing was on the wall soon after passing the post first time. Blair pulled her up after 3 out.

Things improved for the yard a little later on with both Honda Fifty and Stolen Money running their best races over hurdles when filling the runners up berths in their respective handicap hurdles.
Honda Fifty travelled well in the leading group but he was no match for the Micky Hammond trained runaway winner Foster'sisland, who seemed revitalised after a recent placed effort in a Jumpers Bumper. Still, our gelding finished clear himself of the remainder in the manner of a horse who should be winning soon.
Stolen Money is a tough, genuine stayer and he battled with the winner (Emma Beag for Brooke-Brooke) in chasing the then clear leader from 4 out. He led approaching the last but those efforts took their toll and he weakened in the last 150yds, just holding onto 2nd place. Jumping can still be improved though but The Buyers Club will be heartened by this effort.

Nevermind, we race again tomorrow.....

Wetherby, and Baby Ticker runs in the 2m 5½f Class 3 mares handicap hurdle at 3.55.

Remarkably for an 11 to 12 year old she has put together a series of runs over the last year which are the best of her 21 race career.
However, Wetherby is not a track like Hexham or Ayr that puts an emphasis on stamina so she may just find herself outpaced on the turn for home. But she'll be staying on, so you never know.......

Venetia's first time handicapper (off OR115) Fortunes Collonges is from an excellent NH family (yes, that one...) so you'd think she would appreciate the step up to 2m 5f following on from a couple of novice hurdle runs (1 win, 1 third) following wind surgery. She looks lightly treated on that mark and looks the one to beat.
There were signs in Runasimi River's last run that she was working back to the level that saw her win a couple of similar events to this just over 1 year ago, so she comes right into the mix.
Pipe's Sexy Lot takes a step up in grade and would have to show just a bit more than when beaten (just ½ length in each case) in her last two runs. Lightly raced so that necessary improvement is not impossible.
Midnightreflection won impressively at Plumpton when last dropped into this grade. She went up heftily in the handicap as a result but is a useful hurdler and could make her experience and class tell here.
Desaray Girl has been dropping down the handicap steadily but ran well in a listed hurdle at Sandown in January following a wind op, and will have been sharpened for this by a recent run in a Jumpers Bumper at Newcastle (and we've seen that show before from Micky just today), while Schiaparannie steps up in trip after a disappointing run last time.

A tremendous mares handicap for a Class 3, with a bit of everything - the young, the old, the progressive, the experienced, those dropped in class, and those returning to form.

Theo Gillard has been engaged to take 7lb off the back of Baby Ticker, while stable amateur Connor Wood is prevented from riding due to environmental concerns. Good luck - win, lose or draw we know our mare will try her heart out.

Baby Ticker