18:00 Carlisle

Saturday 6 July 2019

All18:0018:3019:0019:3020:0020:3021:00

Gretna Gateway Apprentice Handicap

Off time: 18:03 | Winning time: 1m 13.24s

(8)

Prestbury Park¹⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-12| J: C J MacRedmond⁽⁵⁾| T: P T Midgley| OR: 68| D

6/1

Possible excuses ground-wise the last twice, and the return to the forecast much quicker conditions should see him fare better. On a long losing run though and is not the most consistent. Hard to make a strong case for.

Form: 8-83270

(4)

Cameo Star^p¹⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-11| J: Connor Murtagh| T: R A Fahey| OR: 67| D

4/1

No better than midfield the last twice but hasn't been disgraced either. Is quite a versatile sort ground-wise. Tends to take him a few runs to hit top form, so every chance he could leave the form of his four starts this year well behind.

Form: 49-0266

(7)

Suitcase 'n' Taxi³

Age: 5| Weight: 9-5| J: Danny Redmond| T: T D Easterby| OR: 61| CD

5/1

C&D winner last year but has been in the doldrums of late and he is subsequently 12lb below his last winning mark. Stepped up to this trip for the first time this season when not beaten far at Thirsk (6f; good to firm) on Wednesday.

Form: 40-8008

(5)

Extrasolar^p,t⁵

Age: 9| Weight: 9-4| J: Zak Wheatley⁽⁵⁾| T: G A Harker| OR: 60| CD

9/2

Narrow loser of a Catterick (6f; good to firm) seller on Monday. That was an improved showing upon his recent efforts and he won this contest last year, so he could well be about to hit peak form at the same time. Player.

Form: 745-982

(1)

Mansfield³¹

Age: 6| Weight: 9-2| J: Kieran Schofield⁽³⁾| T: Mrs Stella Barclay| OR: 58| D

7/1

Unable to back up Redcar (6f; good to firm) victory last time when only managing to finish ninth of 15 at Nottingham (6f; good). Ground should be more suitable now, but not certain that he will come back to form for that reason.

Form: 833519

(6)

Ventura Secret^p,t¹⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-0| J: Paula Muir| T: M Dods| OR: 56| C

5/2

Returned to form with a good pair of runner-up efforts lately. Only beaten a neck on the first of those two runs and then bumped into a thoroughly progressive sort at Carlisle (6f; good to soft). Should go very close if able to reproduce that form.

Form: 9-60022

(2)

Tarnhelm¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 8-7| J: Rhona Pindar⁽⁵⁾| T: W Storey| OR: 47

20/1

0-14. Largely struggling for form this year and now drops down to 6f after finishing sixth of 11 at Redcar (1m; good) last time out. Not beaten far that day but doesn't have the most convincing of profiles overall and others make greater appeal.

Form: 705006

(3)

Bevsboy¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 8-7| J: Ella McCain⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss L C Siddall| OR: 45

50/1

Has endured an unsuccessful spell since switched to handicaps over trips ranging from 7f-1m1f. Drops down to 6f now which is an interesting move but still has plenty to prove on the basis of his lacklustre effort at Redcar (1m; good) recently.

Form: 6809-08

Non-Runners

(9)

Somewhere Secret¹²

Weight: 9-8| Age: 5

T: M Mullineaux J: Lewis Stones

Forecasts

Ventura Secret (5/2), Somewhere Secret (3/1), Cameo Star (4/1), Extrasolar (9/2), Suitcase 'n' Taxi (5/1), Prestbury Park (6/1), Mansfield (7/1), Tarnhelm (20/1), Bevsboy (50/1)

A low-grade sprint handicap to kick off proceedings. Extrasolar won this event last year, and hinted at a return to form recently when improving on all his recent exploits to finish runner-up in a seller. He is dangerous to dismiss as is Somewhere Secret who enjoyed a productive time of things last month and displayed his ability to cope with various conditions ground-wise. He has every chance, but this can go to VENTURA SECRET who proved his neck-second at Hamilton to be no fluke when he ran another consistent race behind the progressive Caustic Love recently and provided he runs to that level again, he should prove hard to beat.