14:10 Carlisle

Tuesday 17 April 2018

All14:1014:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

Enhanced Place Odds At 188Bet Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:10 | Winning time: 5m 12.5s

Chicago Lady²⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Lorcan Murtagh⁽³⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 104

12/1

A fraction disappointing on her most recent start (possibly didn't stay), but had bustled up the long odds-on Louse Talk over C&D previously (heavy). Goes handicapping for the first time, but her opening mark mightn't be over generous.

Form: 2-624

Scales^t²¹

Age: 12| Weight: 11-8| J: R Patrick⁽³⁾| T: Kerry Lee| OR: 100| D

13/2

Veteran who sits 1lb below his last winning mark (2m2f+ heavy). Had wind surgery recently and possibly improved for it when a comfortably held 3+L runner up to Sackett (2m3f+ soft) at Hereford latest.

Form: 216FP2

Tickanrun⁴¹

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: James Bowen| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 95| BF

4/1

Now a 15-race maiden and whilst returning from an absence in decent form (ex Chris Grant trained), he doesn't always finish off his races after travelling smoothly into contention. Pulled up latest (lame), but stable in form assuming he's recovered.

Form: 62/2-22P

Strike West³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Harry Reed| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 94

12/1

Like his stablemate Tickanrun, he remains a maiden (11 career starts), but there's probably a weak race in him at this kind of level. Upped in trip after finishing tamely at Sedgefield (2m1f) latest, but others appear stronger today.

Form: 86U483

Permission Granted⁸⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: R D Day| T: R Dobbin| OR: 90

6/1

Not really shown an awful lot of promise thus far, but is dropped a further 5lb in the weights since his last start at Musselburgh in mid-January (2m3f+ soft). Forecast ground conditions not ideal.

Form: 9-89797

Aniknam¹⁰

Age: 8| Weight: 10-12| J: Thomas Dowson⁽³⁾| T: P A Kirby| OR: 90

4/1

Reasonably useful as a novice way back in 2014 (two-time 2m Hexham winner). However, he's not really delivered the goods since. Plummeted in the weights, and potentially thrown in off a mark of 90 in a modest contest if bouncing back to form.

Form: PP67FP

Captain Black²³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Sam Coltherd| T: W Coltherd| OR: 85

15/2

Only raced away from Carlisle once in six largely fruitless starts. Dropped 10lb since sent handicapping, and could only be considered (in-running) if adopting a change from his usual held up in the rear tactics.

Form: 678970

Border Victor^p¹⁹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 84

4/1

A 12 race maiden, for whom wind surgery seems to have had a positive effect. Placed on both starts since that operation, beaten 4L by Chicoria at Ayr (2m4f+ soft) and also 4L by Witness at Wetherby (3m soft) latest.

Form: 7-7P832

Non-Runners

Herecomesnelson⁵⁶

Weight: 10-8| Age: 9

T: K Scott J: Callum Bewley

Forecasts

Border Victor (4/1), Tickanrun (4/1), Aniknam (4/1), Permission Granted (6/1), Scales (13/2), Captain Black (15/2), Strike West (12/1), Chicago Lady (12/1), Herecomesnelson (25/1)

A low-key opener in which the handicap debutante Chicago Lady appears to have been set a stiff enough task off top-weight. That said; plenty of those below including the Micky Hammond trained pair Tickanrun and Strike West are maidens. Both Scales and Border Victor have shown some marginal improvement for wind surgery, but in a race which makes little overall appeal, a few shekels are advised on ANIKNAM. He was a useful novice back in 2014 and would've carried these rivals on his back in those days, and after seemingly not staying 3m latest, he drops down a further 4lb in the weights to an incredibly fair mark of 90.