Jake Price's Monday Horse Racing Tips at Cartmel

TIP 1: HANDMEDOWNASTAR 1pt Win

Best odds of SP at the time of posting.

A horse I have my eye on for the Autumn ahead is HANDMEDOWNASTAR, and considering he was pulled out of a very competitive Worcester Novice Hurdle a couple of weeks ago due to being kicked at the start, you would imagine that connections are keen to gain compensation in this open looking 2m6f Handicap Hurdle instead.

This point-to-point winner made a relatively low-key start to life over Hurdles when finishing third over an inadequate 2m1½f at Fontwell in March, but when slightly stepped up in distance to 2m2½f at Newton Abbot in April he ran a lot better to finish second behind Dan Skelton’s Dutch Corner, who is rated 117 and subsequently finished sixth in the Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle at Sandown on the final day of last season.

HANDMEDOWNASTAR also went on to boost that Newton Abbot form when once again upped in trip to 2m3f at Fontwell in May, and having been sent off the 5/6f he made no mistake under Harry Cobden. He jumped notably well the whole way around, made all of the running, and went on to easily score by 8 lengths on the bridle.

That Fontwell effort would turn out to be his last start for Seamus Mullins as he has since joined upcoming trainer Nick Scholfield to continue his promising career, and I cannot see why a mark of 115 would be enough of a barrier to success on Handicap debut. Furthermore, this increase in distance to 2m6f should be right up his street, and Sean Bowen is clearly a jockey booking that signals significant intent.

TIP 2: SHALLOW RIVER - 1pt Win

Best odds of SP at the time of writing.

They will have to do more circuits of Sticky Toffee village than I care to count in this Class 2 event over an extended 3m1½f, but thankfully the Champion Jockey Sean Bowen will be aboard to do that job for me – and surely connections have not left SHALLOW RIVER in training if they did not think he had one more big pot left in him.

Although he might be a 10yo now, he is certainly not an over-raced horse having missed plenty of time in his career to date – including 510 days for Olly Murphy between winning a 3m1f Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier at Carlisle in December 2024 and making his return to the track at Hexham in May. To my eye it has very much been a softly softly approach to get him back to full fitness however, and in that return he was sent off a rather unfancied 50/1 shot over an inadequate 2m4f trip.

The cheekpieces went back on for Worcester in June where he ran much better in third place behind Sunray Shadow (129) and American Mike (139), but he was completely squeezed out of contention by the front two that day, and ultimately he was only doing his best work towards the end of that 2m7f trip which is just shy of his optimum. It was still a good effort behind two above average ‘Summer’ horses however, and shows he still retains plenty of ability.

SHALLOW RIVER once again found himself friendless in the market at Uttoxeter when last seen in July, but something significant about his profile is his love for softer ground – with his wins all coming on a surface no quicker than Good to Soft. In fact, his last two wins have come in Pertemps Qualifiers with going descriptions of ‘Soft’ and ‘Heavy’, so the possible 15mm to fall across the weekend at Cartmel will be massively in his favour.

Now back down to a mark of 125 which is 2lbs lower than his last win, I think that this 3m1½f trip on some rain softened ground should provide ideal conditions to give this Olly Murphy charge one last go – and crucially the cheekpieces he requires are on. With Sean Bowen keeping the faith, he has to have strong claims in what you would say is a fairly weak race for the grade.