1183-1 accumulator: Desperate Brian Hughes travels to Carlisle for six glorious rides

Saturday will prove to be a pivotal day in the Jump Jockeys Championship. At the the time of writing, Brian Hughes and Harry Skelton are locked on 130 winners, and both have several key chances on Saturday. Skelton has all the momentum and Hughes needs to fight back. That being said, Hughes’s biggest price from six rides on Saturday is 4/1 and he could easily eke out a big advantage.

Together, the pair have nine rides, but Hughes holds all the aces. We’ll have horse racing tips for all the action, but here’s an 1183-1 accumulator of Hughes’ chances on a super Saturday of action.

Hughes’ huge chance

Brian Hughes heads into the day with a simply perfect book of rides. All six of his mounts have above average claims and you couldn’t rule out a six-timer. If that did come to fruition, it could be a knockout blow in this year’s title-race.

2.13 Carlisle – Bird On The Wire

Dual point winner Bird On The Wire only showed minor ability in his opening rules starts. He underwent wind surgery prior to his handicap debut at Catterick and that worked the oracle, finishing second behind a convincing winner. He’s a pound higher today, but he gains the services of Hughes and looks set to relish the step up in distance. Donald McCain has his string in excellent form and he won’t find many better opportunities than this to shed his maiden tag.

2.48 Carlisle – Wetlands

Arriving on the hat-trick trail, Wetlands was a very comfortable winner of a novices’ race at Newcastle in February. That was a useful looking contest and the third has subsequently finished second in a handicap off 125 in a higher grade than this. Wetlands makes his handicap debut off 132, which looks generous, and this improving six-year-old can continue his progressive sequence under the jockey who has ridden him for all six of his career starts.

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3.23 Carlisle – Licklighter

Absent since the summer, Licklighter is perhaps best caught fresh. Returning from a 288-day absence in July, he was a comfortable winner at Bangor, finishing second at Cartmel subsequently in a race that perhaps came too soon. He remains unexposed for the Laura Morgan yard and conditions have come into his favour. The tongue-tie and cheekpieces are added and plenty of improvement could be on the way.

3.58 Carlisle – Storm Nelson

The hat-trick beckons for Sandy Thomson’s Storm Nelson, who was an empathic winner over course and distance just six days ago. He was only pushed out on the run-in but still pulled eleven lengths clear, such is the amount he had in hand. He’s totally unexposed over the staying distances and after just eight career starts, the best is surely yet to come. With just a seven-pound penalty to contend with, Hughes is surely looking forward to this ride.

4.33 Carlisle – Cooking Fat

He’s winless since July 2018, but Cooking Fat has endured a stop-start career since. He’s been seen twice this term, safely held on both occasions in softer ground. That surface won’t have suited, however, and a much better effort can be expected today. Placed off nine-pound higher mark back in 2018, if he does put his best foot forward back on his favoured surface, he holds an obvious chance.

5.05 Carlisle – Artic Quest

Perhaps the most unlikely of all his mounts, given he’s 0/14 thus far, Artic Quest did produce a better effort when fourth over course and distance last month. He came from the back of the pack to take the lead before two-out, perhaps getting there too soon as he then weakened late into fourth. It’s worth upgrading that effort and Hughes now takes over from a claiming jockey. That could be the catalyst to his opening career success.

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