12:55 Carlisle

Sunday 2 December 2018

All12:2512:5513:2514:0014:3015:0015:30

Smarkets Northern Lights Mares' Hurdle Series Final Mares' Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 12:55 | Winning time: 5m 18.5s

Bon Chic^b¹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-13| J: Henry Brooke| T: James Moffatt| OR: 126| D

14/1

Up 7lb for a gutsy win over a similar trip at Ayr (heavy) last time. Scope for a bit more, judged on that effort. Should be thereabouts.

Form: 741701

Secret Escape^p1³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 112

11/2

Best form so far has been on a sound/fast surface. Won a Cartmel novices' event in July. Up 2lb for a good run on her reappearance at Sedgefield, cheekpieces on. Claims.

Form: 6-23132

Dark Sunset²⁶⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 10-13| J: Harrison Beswick⁽⁷⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 112| D

12/1

Scored from 4lb lower at Doncaster (3m½f, good) and bettered that at Catterick (good to soft) next time. Held when dropped in trip on last run in April. Drop of 1lb suggests she needs improvement remaining of this sort of trip.

Form: 454144-

Victoria Says^t1¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-10| J: Danny McMenamin⁽⁷⁾| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 109| D

5/1

Won an Ayr maiden hurdle (heavy) over a similar trip 13-months ago. Showed she retains that ability on her reappearance. Latest run was just two days later, so probably too soon. Tongue tied here and not written off from 3lb lower.

Form: 2/41P-4P

Champagne To Go³¹

Age: 8| Weight: 10-10| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽⁵⁾| T: R Menzies| OR: 109| D

10/1

Broke his duck at the 13th attempt at Sedgefield (2m4f, good) last month. Up 4lb here and that form hasn't worked out well. More needed.

Form: 2-23431

Baby Ticker^b1²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Callum Whillans⁽³⁾| T: D W Whillans| OR: 108

11/1

Scored at Ayr (2m, heavy) from 1lb lower in January and matched that effort over a similar trip to today's next time back at that venue. Below that level on reappearance, but could come on for that, the return to this trip and blinkers.

Form: 21258-5

Princess Mononoke²²¹

Age: 7| Weight: 10-9| J: Abbie McCain⁽⁷⁾| T: D McCain Jnr| OR: 108| D

16/1

Won three of he last five starts last season, including when upped to a similar trip on her final start at Perth in April. Up another 5lb, so more needed, but goes well on soft and not ruled out.

Form: 314211-

Hidden Dilemma¹⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-4| J: R Johnson| T: S R B Crawford| OR: 103| BF| C

6/4

Wide margin winner here two starts ago (2m1f, soft), when 9lb lower. Held over a similar trip to this last time. More needed.

Form: 04-6714

Reivers Lodge^h³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 96

25/1

4lb higher than when last winning at Kelso 14-months ago. Not in that sort of form in two starts so far this autumn. Bit to prove.

Form: S2568U

Theatre Act^p,h³⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 10-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: C Grant| OR: 82| BF| CD

40/1

Has gone 15 starts since her last win in January 2017. Significantly below that level for some time, but respectable run here over C&D (good) last time. Not written off, but has a bit to do .

Form: 8-44552

Non-Runners

Beyondtemptation¹¹

Weight: 10-8| Age: 10

T: J C Haynes J: S Mulqueen

Forecasts

Hidden Dilemma (6/4), Victoria Says (5/1), Secret Escape (11/2), Champagne To Go (10/1), Baby Ticker (11/1), Dark Sunset (12/1), Bon Chic (14/1), Princess Mononoke (16/1), Beyondtemptation (25/1), Reivers Lodge (25/1), Theatre Act (40/1)

Several could fancy their chances here, with Bon Chic on the short-list, alongside Victoria Says and Baby Ticker. Beyondtemptation is not written off, but preference is for SECRET ESCAPE, who appears the pick of Donald McCain's trio on jockey bookings and has claims in first-time cheekpieces.