Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Carlisle

Leg 1 Selections: Grove Road

A few with chances but GROVE ROAD made a winning rules debut in a bumper last December on soft ground and although he’s been absent since, he makes quite a bit of appeal on hurdles debut. The step up in trip should suit and he is Archie Watson’s only representative on the card, so he should go very well in the opener here. 

Leg 2 Selections: Donny Boy 

DONNY BOY won his first two starts under rules in good style, in a bumper at Kelso on soft ground by fourteen lengths before an eight length victory on hurdles debut at Newcastle. I thought he ran really well in a pair of Grade Two events afterwards and was yet to be asked for maximum efforts when brought down at the third last hurdle at Kelso last time. He gets his favoured conditions, and drops in grade, so he’s a big player on his return here. 

Leg 3 Selections: Lovely Moon 

LOVELY MOON made an encouraging start over fences for this stable when fourth at Hexham in April and clearly didn’t perform to his best back there last time when only fourth having been sent off favourite. The seven-year-old is well-treated based on his Irish form and his stable are amongst the winners, so he’s worth another chance in this moderate contest. 

Leg 4 Selections: Beauport 

BEAUPORT is in the deep end on his chase debut ut this six-year-old showed some high-class form over hurdles, never finishing out of the frame in nine starts. He won three times, including a Grade Three by eleven lengths on soft-to-heavy ground and gave weight and a beating to a subsequent winner on his penultimate start.

He was last seen running well to finish fourth of 21 in a highly-competitive Grade Three Handicap at Aintree and his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies boasts an excellent 29% strike-rate at this course and his consistent, hardy performer should be well-suited to this stiff two-mile four furlongs test with conditions in his favour. He could prove hard to beat. 

Leg 5 Selections: Silver Hallmark 

SILVER HALLMARK has been limited to just a few starts since winning a Grade Two over fences but Fergal O’Brien will have got him ready for today’s assignment given he’s reported to have not been the easiest to train and he goes well fresh too. He is seen to best effect when the ground is on the soft side, and he’s only had the eight career starts, so he’s unexposed and is open to improvement. He ran a decent race when fourth in the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase on this card twelve months ago and, with Adam Wedge kept in the saddle, this talented eight-year-old could be too good for these, including the favourite. 

Leg 6 Selections: Innisfree Lad, Mount Melleray 

INNISFREE LAD isn’t the most consistent of staying chasers’ but what he does have is plenty of stamina and smart form in the book to play a leading role here. He couldn’t make an impact on his return at Chepstow but he’s eight pounds lower than when third in the Eider at Newcastle and is back on the same mark as when winning by ten lengths at Plumpton. The David Dennis-trained ten-year-old should be approaching peak-fitness now and, now reunited with Brian Hughes, he could be about to run another big race. 

MOUNT MELLERAY was narrowly denied over course-and-distance back in February and returns off only a three pounds higher mark here with conditions in his favour. Given that was his first start over this trip, he’s open to further improvement and remains unexposed as a stayer going forward. He could go well too.