2.25 Carlisle: the one race you don't want to miss on Thursday

2.25 Carlisle
Dianne Sayer Racing Beginners' Chase | 2m | 4yo+ | RTV

Why it is interesting?

This race would not look out of place at Cheltenham's upcoming two-day meeting as Grade 2 hurdle winners Global Citizen and Midnight Shadow make their chase debuts in a high-class field.

Leading the opposition against the pair in the five-strong line-up is Brewin'upastorm, one of last season's top novice hurdlers who would have had a Grade 2 to his name had he not fallen at the last when in front at Cheltenham in January.

Global Citizen, who won Haydock's Champion Hurdle Trial before finishing seventh of ten behind Espoir D'Allen in the main event at Cheltenham in March, starts out over fences in a race his trainer Ben Pauling won with Delire D'Estruval last year.

Midnight Shadow, who, like Global Citizen, has struck twice at Grade 2 level with wins in the Scottish Champion Hurdle and Relkeel Hurdle, returns to action for the first time since being badly hampered in the Cleeve Hurdle in January.

Brewin'upastorm, fourth in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and runner-up at Aintree, makes his first start since a wind operation on his chase debut.

Prolific pair Good Boy Bobby, winner of six of his eight starts, and The Some Dance Kid, successful in four of his six runs, complete the field.

All the race titles on Carlisle's card feature the name of a local trainer, with Dianne Sayer affixed to the beginners' chase and Maurice Barnes, James Ewart, Nicky Richards, Barry Murtagh and Lisa Harrison appearing elsewhere.

The track's general manager Molly Dingwall said: "We wanted to support our local trainers and as we didn't have the card sponsored – we thought it was a lovely way to highlight some of them."

What do the stats say?

Nigel Twiston-Davies enjoyed his raids to Carlisle last season with a 41 per cent strike-rate (7-17) and a £1 level-stakes profit of £11.54. Good Boy Bobby was one of those winners and returns to the course for the in-form trainer.

The market has been a good guide to this race with three winning favourites and no winner bigger than 5-1 in the last eight years.

This race has been won by northern-based trainers in four of the last five years, including with smart pair Cloudy Dream (2016) and Duke Of Navan (2014). Sue Smith (Midnight Shadow) and Donald McCain (The Some Dance Kid) bid to maintain that trend.

What do the trainers say?

Olly Murphy, trainer of Brewin'upastorm
It looks like a nice starting point, albeit a very competitive one. He wasn't finishing off his races as strongly as I wanted last season, so we've given him a wind op and drop him back in trip. He's three weeks behind the rest of my string so, while he's in very good form, he'll definitely come on for the run. He won't be having a hard time of things as it's a long season but his schooling has been good and we're looking forward to getting him going.

Ben Pauling, trainer of Global Citizen
He's schooled very well and Carlisle is a lovely place to start. It's a competitive race but he's very well and I think he'll put up a good show, although he always comes on for his first run. He was a very good hurdler but I feel he's a chaser and if he returns to anywhere near his hurdle form, he's going to be a very decent novice chaser.

Sue Smith, trainer of Midnight Shadow
It's his first run over fences and we're hopeful he'll take to the job and run a big race. Chasing is a different discipline to hurdling but he jumps well at home. A horse ran in front of him badly at Cheltenham in January so we called it a day after that, but he's okay and ready to go again.

What do our tipsters reckon?

This is a seriously strong beginners' chase with all five horses enhancing their reputations last season over hurdles, with Good Boy Bobby and The Some Dance Kid plying their trade at a lower level than the other three. Global Citizen has always looked a speed horse so might be vulnerable on this stiff track, whereas and Brewin'upastorm have stamina to burn at this trip (can come in handy with a strong pace likely). The selection was only 17-2 for the Stayers' Hurdle when last seen and he's marginally preferred to the Murphy runner.
Alistair Jones

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