Thurles & Carlisle – Thursday 21st October

It was a bit of a relief to get back to winning ways yesterday with two nice winners at Worcester. Bigbadmattie was a very impressive winner of the handicap hurdle before Fair Frontiers made a complete mockery of the maiden hurdle to finish the card. With Cheltenham this weekend edging ever closer, the more and more jump racing will hopefully be able to bring about more winners in the coming weeks. 

Action in Ireland today comes from Thurles, where they have a competitive seven race card on good ground. The weather in Ireland has held up okay the last few days, so this could well ride as described. The 1.45 race is a 2m2f handicap chase for horses rated between 0-102 and as is typical, this is a competitive affair for this grade. I’m slightly swinging from the hip with my selection, as Rolling Revenge would not be top of everyone’s shortlist for this race, but given his form on decent ground at this trip, wouldn’t be out of place in this sort of contest. He is getting on at this stage, as he is 12 going 13, but he won this time last year at Clonmel in a similar contest off a few pounds higher and his recent efforts have not been as bad as the form figures would suggest. If returning to his best form, he will have a good chance in this race. At a price of 18/1 with Ladbrokes, who offer 5 places, he is an each way bet. 

The 4.05 race is the second and last selection from Thurles today, with the 2m7f handicap hurdle looking like a good betting heat. I’m going to take a chance on a horse that may still be on the improve, the Jimmy Barcoe trained mare, Influential Lady. Having gone off the boil for a few different trainers, Barcoe has sparked life into this mare with two pleasing efforts in a row, most notably when readily landing a big gamble at Gowran Park a few weeks ago over 2m4f. That was done in the style of a mare who might go in again and even though she has to deal with a nine pounds higher mark, which could be beyond her ceiling – she should run another good race here with conditions still to suit. At a price of 15/2 with Paddy Power, who offer 5 places, she is an each way bet. 

Moving over to Carlisle, and we have one selection from the Northern track, which comes in the 3.05 race, which is a handicap hurdle over the extended 2m1f trip. A horse that has encountered a fair drift this morning is the Ann Hamilton horse, Hello Judge – who has become too big a price to not get invested into. It may well have an uphill task against some nice horses here, but based on his novice hurdle win against PresentandCounting, who is now rated in the 140s over fences – he should be nicely weighted off an opening handicap mark of 116. He was a little disappointing back at Kelso a few weeks ago, but I would be more than happy to write that down to needing the run, and he should come on majorly for that effort. At a general price of 14/1, he looks a big each way price.