4.25pm Carlisle Tips & Betting Preview 26/10/2017

4.25pm Carlisle tips for Thursday’s race. A marathon three and a quarter miles on heavy going will test their stamina here in what should be a fascinating contest over the Carlisle fences. Read on for our free betting tips, predictions and analysis.

IN SUMMARY:  One of the more interesting races today, but one where top weight SHANROE SANTOS (Each Way) can have a huge say for trainer Lucy Wadham who does remarkably well with her small string. He can only improve for his return to action at Warwick and should be suited by both trip and track, and at a decent price looks solid each way material today.

1 SHANROE SANTOS – Lucy Wadham’s eight-year-old put in some career-best efforts when winning over three miles at Warwick and Sandown in February and March before signing off with a seventh to Willoughby Hedge at Haydock in a decent Class Two handicap and looked as if he needed the run on his return at Warwick with more jumping errors than is usual. Sure to strip a lot fitter here he ought to build on that effort and top weight may not be enough to stop him if he is back to his earlier form.

2 CARRIGDHOUN – Four wins here suggest the twelve-year-old grey likes it around this track more than anywhere else and he hasn’t been disgraced so far this season either with a third and a fourth at Perth and then here at Carlisle when running in snatches over shorter. A course and distance winner he should appreciate the step back up in trip and is now five pounds below his latest winning mark and looks a solid each-way option despite his age.

3 COURTOWN OSCAR – Not seen in action since April at Punchestown and a high-quality chaser with three wins from just the eleven starts over fences. The Philp Kirby stable are only ticking over with one win from eleven recent runners and the horse’s record fresh fails to inspire. Worth watching for future reference but an unlikely winner this afternoon perhaps.

4 KAP JAZZ – Two wins from only five starts over the larger obstacles and open to plenty of further improvement. Not seen on a racecourse since a well-beaten third at Exeter in March and with the trip an unknown quantity (both wins were over two and a half miles), and the Venetia Williams horses running below expectations, he may well struggle to get home on this going today.

5 BIGIRONONHISHIP – Well supported on his return to action at Hexham when backed down to 9/4 he won over two and a half miles by a neck but on overall form he ought to be even better stepped up to this sort of trip. Likely to strip fitter after his first race in ten months he may have been put up two pounds but may well shrug that off and a big run is expected here.

6 GOOHAR – Not seen since April but has some decent form in the book with a Towcester win in December and a good third at Cheltenham when last seen. Dropped a pound for that and ought to relish both trip and track but the going may be too soft for him on his return with his better efforts on a quicker surface. Henry Daly is struggling for winners which is also a negative and others look to have better chances.

7 ITSTIMEFROAPINT – Loves a test of stamina more than most but some solid placed efforts have seen his handicap rating rise and he may find he needs a few pounds less before he can win his fourth race over fences. One look at his race record suggests he is inclined to improve for his first run or two back from a lay-off and that may well be the case here as well.

8 MUNSAAB – Trainer James Moffatt adds a first-time visor here which seems strange at the age of eleven, but he needs to find improvement from somewhere and the headgear can only help. A poor third last time out at Hexham over two and a half miles he steps back up in trip and is well weighted on the pick of his form that includes a win at Cartmel over further off four pounds higher, and if he can get back to that form he has an obvious chance.

9 LANDMEAFORTUNE – Martin Todhunter’s eight-year-old grey put up a career-best effort when winning at Perth on similar ground last time out and although upped seven pounds by the handicapper may well have a lot more to offer. He stayed on strongly to score by seven lengths that day and could be even more effective with an added quarter mile today, and with improvement likely for his first race in five months, he ought to be a major player again here with Henry Brooke back in the saddle this afternoon.

10 PRESENTED – Some pretty decent placed efforts at Hexham and Perth were followed by a poor run at Uttoxeter when he was pulled up before two out and he has to run from six pounds out of the handicap here. This looks a tougher race and a higher standard but he won’t mind the going or the trip and could run a fair bit better than his price implies.