14:05 Carlisle

Monday 12 November 2018

All12:5513:3014:0514:3515:1015:40

Smarkets Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:05 | Winning time: 4m 23.7s

Victoria Says²⁸⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-10| J: T Scudamore| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 112

8/1

Has undertaken her hurdles racing either side of the Irish Sea; strong stamina wise when taking a fairly weak 2m4f+ maiden hurdle at Ayr (heavy) in November 2017, and has made just a single appearance since; handicap debut.

Form: 542/41P-

Baby Ticker²⁰⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-9| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans| OR: 111

12/1

1-12 over hurdles, winning from a 4lb lower mark in deep ground at Ayr (2m) in January; probably didn't stay 3m when last seen in competitive action in the spring (good).

Form: 5/21258-

Versifier²⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-4| J: L P Aspell| T: O Sherwood| OR: 106

4/1

Evidently isn't necessarily any great shakes, but equally there's evidence which suggests that she's on a gradual upward curve; 9lb higher than when drawing clear to score by 8L at Hereford (2m4f, good to firm) latest.

Form: 6-56251

Toboggan's Fire²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 105

9/2

Made a winning start over hurdles at Musselburgh (2m, soft) in January, and has performed perfectly adequately in three starts since; beaten 8½L on her second start in a handicap (mares) at Stratford 23-days ago; place claims.

Form: 14-43

Trooblue¹⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 10-12| J: K Yeoman⁽¹⁰⁾| T: J Parkinson & S Smith| OR: 100

10/3

Shown bits and pieces of form over hurdles, but fair to say that she kicked off in handicap company from a fairly challenging looking mark; now 7lb lower (17lb if factoring in riders allowance) than at Kelso latest.

Form: 34334-9

Russian Royale^p¹¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-8| J: Miss Becky Smith⁽³⁾| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 96| D

9/1

Won off just a 2lb lower mark at Hexham (2m, good) in June, but has competed over further at Sedgefield in each of her last two hurdles starts; conditions perfectly fine assuming the rain stays away.

Form: 34-2154

Hidden Dilemma⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-6| J: Harry Skelton| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 94

9/2

Stablemate of Victoria Says; 0-5 over hurdles, including when sent off at 100/1 in a Down Royal (2m+) maiden latest; considerably more required on her second start in a handicap.

Form: 3004-67

Georgian Firebird^t1²⁵

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: Alain Cawley| T: B Leavy| OR: 93

28/1

Beat the quirky Go West Young Man in a Towcester novice (2m, soft) in February 2016, but largely all downhill since; has previous form with Versifier; reduced mark fair if the first time tongue-tie is of any assistance.

Form: 1/F63P-P

Non-Runners

Keep The River¹⁴

Weight: 11-12| Age: 4

T: I Jardine J: Ross Chapman

Llantara²¹⁶

Weight: 11-11| Age: 7

T: T Symonds J: Benjamin Poste

Forecasts

Trooblue (10/3), Versifier (4/1), Llantara (4/1), Hidden Dilemma (9/2), Toboggan's Fire (9/2), Keep The River (9/2), Victoria Says (8/1), Russian Royale (9/1), Baby Ticker (12/1), Georgian Firebird (28/1)

Not a strong race in any shape or form, so the recent smooth Hereford winner Versifier is likely to figure prominently in the betting exchanges for Oliver Sherwood and Leighton Aspell. However, whilst she's clearly on the upgrade, she's certainly not cast-iron either, so it could be worth taking a chance on the fitness of the returning LLANTARA. The Tom Symonds-trained mare (trainer 3-9; 33% at Carlisle since 2011) is probably capable of winning more races despite a rise in the weights for her heavy ground victories at Towcester and Hereford during the spring.