13:55 Carlisle

Sunday 16 December 2018

All12:2012:5013:2013:5514:2515:0015:30

Smarkets Chase (Novices' Limited Handicap)

Off time: 13:55 | Winning time: 5m 40.00s

Luckofthedraw^h³⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Sam Twiston-Davies| T: N & W Twiston-Davies| OR: 132| BF| C

10/3

Made a really good start over fences when scoring here (2m, good to soft) in October. Disappointed at Aintree last time. 7lb higher than his win and open to improvement now upped in trip. Thereabouts if he can bounce back.

Form: 3412-18

Slanelough^h⁵²

Age: 6| Weight: 11-5| J: Craig Nichol| T: R Dobbin| OR: 129| C

8/1

Scored here over hurdles (2m1f, soft) last year and has since won over 2m3½f at Doncaster. Went close from this mark over hurdles in February and showed promise on his chase debut here in October. More needed, but interesting.

Form: 23126-4

Didero Vallis¹⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-3| J: Charlie Deutsch| T: Miss V Williams| OR: 127

12/1

Downpatrick maiden hurdle winner (2m3f, good) last year, when with Willie Mullins. Handles soft ground. Well held on chase/stable debut at Newcastle recently and this is a tough ask on that evidence.

Form: 023P-37

Reverant Cust^t²³

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Henry Brooke| T: P Atkinson| OR: 126

15/2

Acts on any ground and scored on debut over fences at Catterick (2m3f) last month. That was as good as anything he produced over hurdles, and he looks open to improvement now. Enters calculations on handicap debut from same mark.

Form: 61226-1

Trongate³²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-13| J: B S Hughes| T: I Jardine| OR: 123| D

7/2

Has made a good start over fences, winning two and finishing second in the other two. Up 6lb for the latest success at Ayr. Still improving and can't rule him out.

Form: 432121

Caventara^p1¹⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: Danny Cook| T: A M Thomson| OR: 117

8/1

Looked potentially useful when winning an Ayr maiden hurdle (2m4½f, heavy) in January. Didn't jump well enough on recent Newcastle chase debut. Cheekpieces go on, and would be interesting granted a clear round.

Form: 6P/31-P

Ryalex²⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-3| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 111| BF| C

3/1

Scored here (2m4f, soft) very easily two starts ago and went close again last time under a penalty. Further 10lb rise in a better race will require more, but still on an upward curve and could go well.

Form: 3/2-7512

Non-Runners

Spider's Bite²²

Weight: 11-8| Age: 6

T: H D Daly J: Andrew Tinkler

Forecasts

Ryalex (3/1), Spider's Bite (3/1), Luckofthedraw (10/3), Trongate (7/2), Reverant Cust (15/2), Slanelough (8/1), Caventara (8/1), Didero Vallis (12/1)

A decent handicap chase that looks potentially competitive. Luckofthedraw has a disappointment to shrug off but if he can then he probably has claims, while probable improver Spider's Bite is another for the short-list. Trongate, Slanelough and Ryalex are also all of interest, but the suggestion is REVEREND CUST, who made a promising start over fences and could kick on again now entering handicaps.