Guides to Carlisle's Sunday Listed races and tips

Official Rating: 138. RaceiQ Jump Index: 6.8. Odds: 9-2. 

This Grade One winner over hurdles (3m at Aintree) has had a mixed time of it over fences, summed up by her final two starts of last term. She was a gallant runner-up in the Grand National Trial at Haydock (later being awarded the race because the winner failed a drugs test) before being pulled up in the Midlands Grand National. 

She’s a stayer, and it's been almost three years since she was last in action over 2m 4f and this trip will almost certainly be on the sharp side for her. Moreover, she’s improved for a run in her past two campaigns and the conditions of this race favour others much better. 

Official Rating: 148. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.3. Odds: Evens. 

This bold-jumping front-runner is usually quite a sight over her fences, stealing lengths off her rivals left, right and centre. That is reflected by the RaceiQ data, which reveals she gained more than 83 lengths over fences in her five races last term. 

She won four of those contests, with the highlight being her defeat of Brides Hill (gave 6lb) in the Listed Lady Protectress Mares' Chase at Huntingdon in February. The runner-up went on to finish second in the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but, unfortunately, Telepathique, described as “delicate to train” in the past, missed the rest of the campaign after suffering a setback. 

If the seven-year-old can pick up from where she left off, then she will take some stopping, although she did jump out to her left at Huntingdon, leaving a question mark as to whether this track will be ideal. 

Official Rating: 131. RaceiQ Jump Index: 6.8. Odds: 5-1. 

She’s not always been the strongest of finishers, but fitness will be no issue, and she won a similar prize to this at Chepstow last month when making the most of the 7lb that the odds-on Doyen Quest had to concede. 

Goodish ground and this trip seems to suit but the ratings suggest she is up against it, even with the relentless Sean Bowen in the saddle. 

Official Rating: 147. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.5. Odds: 11-4. 

Paggane has got plenty going for her, being a fit, in-form mare favoured by the weights plus Harry Cobden being reunited with her. Cobden has ridden her once before, when they combined to finish second behind the smart Fun Fun Fun in a 3m Listed event at Perth in April. 

Paggane was trained by Willie Mullins at that time (as was Fun Fun Fun) but was switched to the yard of Faye Bramley in the summer after changing hands for 100,000gns at the Sales. 

She shaped encouragingly in a couple of Flat races for her new yard in late June/July and then ran a stormer in the Silver Trophy Hurdle at Chepstow last time, when beaten a neck at 50-1. 

Paggane is now back over fences for the first time since being beaten a nose in the Killarney National in May and, versatile regards ground and trip, seems certain to make a bold bid in receipt of weight from her principal rivals. 

Official Rating: 112. RaceiQ Jump Index: 6.3. Odds: 150-1. 

She’s got a mountain to climb on these terms, plus will be running over a trip short of her best. 

The early 4-1 that was offered about Paggane after the final declarations on Friday has shrunk to 11-4, but she still makes plenty of appeal. Telepathique is the obvious threat, even if she may be better going left-handed. 

1 Paggane. 2 Telepathique. 3 Spculatrix. 4 Apple Away.  5 Shighness. 

Official Rating: 157. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.8. Odds: 4-6. 

Began and ended last season with non-completions but he had a fruitful time in between, especially when edging out Jango Baie in the Grade One Scilly Isle Novice Chases’ Chase at Sandown in February. 

The runner-up franked that form when subsequently winning the Arkle, while Mark Of Gold, the distant third, won twice afterwards and ended the campaign rated 146. Handstands had previously beaten Resplendent Grey 3½ lengths on level weights in a Grade Two contest over 3m at Sandown and you can put a line through his below-par run at Aintree in April as he was brough to a halt by the fall of a rival. 

This looks an ideal starting point to his campaign, as he’s favoured by the weights and right-hand tracks like Carlisle clearly serve him well. Ben Pauling, his trainer, also has his horses in good nick, with his yard enjoying its best October (seven winners at a 23 per cent strike rate) since 2021. 

Official Rating: 147. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.4. Odds: 3-1. 

Olly Murphy chalked up 18 winners from 44 runners in October, with the relentless Sean Bowen aboard all bar two of them. And this month began much the same with Bowen snatching defeat from the jaws of victory aboard Strong Leader at Wetherby. 

You take on this combination at your peril, but Resplendent Grey will be making his comeback over a trip short of his best and I’d imagine this is very much a sighter before the Coral Gold Trophy at Newbury later this month. 

He could not live with Handstands when they clashed over 3m at Sandown 11 months ago, when merely making late gains on him, and the half-mile shorter trip here will be less of an inconvenience for the winner. 

Resplendent Grey subsequently confirmed that he was all about stamina when fourth in the National Hunt Chase before landing the bet365 Gold Cup. The weights for the Coral Gold Trophy have yet to be framed, so with Newbury in mind, and assuming Handstands does not suffer any misfortune,  a keeping-on placed effort would be damage limitation in terms of his mark. 

Official Rating: 136. RaceiQ Jump Index: 7.9. Odds: 11-2. 

The grey took well to fences in a light campaign last season, impressing with his jumping when gaining successive wins in handicaps at Doncaster and Musselburgh. 

That led to his handicap mark rising 14lb to 138 but connections rolled the dice and pitched him into Grade One company at Aintree in the spring. 

He was unable to bridge the gap, being well beaten, and this represents another tough assignment as he would be 15lb better off with Handstands if this was a handicap. On the plus side, this is his optimum trip and the Nicky Richards stable enjoyed a double at Ayr on Saturday with horses who had been absent at least eight months. 

Official Rating: --. RaceiQ Jump Index: (6.8 over hurdles). Odds: 20-1. 

Jamie Snowden is asking a big question of this five-year-old mare on her chasing bow, but he said in a recent Racing TV Stable Tour that “she’s been schooling brilliantly”. 

Two out of two in bumpers, she began last term with minor wins over hurdles at Ludlow and Fontwell before coping well with stiffer tasks, chasing home Jubilee Alpha over an inadequate 2m in a Listed contest at Taunton before going one better in the Grade Two Jane Seymour Mares' Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown. The runner-up franked the form when filling the same position in Grade One company at Fairyhouse in April. 

Hollygrove Cha Cha signed off with a whimper, being pulled up in the Dawn Run at Cheltenham, but it will be no surprise if she resumes her progress this term. She looks on a lenient mark of 124 over hurdles, but her connections prefer this route. She’s interesting getting between 13lb and 19lb from her three rivals but her lack of experience is a niggle. 

This looks a good opportunity for HANDSTANDS to hit the deck running. The Kalooki Kid could be the one to chase him home as he is likely to be more at home over this trip than Resplendent Grey. 

1 Handstands. 2 Kalooki Kid. 3 Resplendent Grey. 4 Holygrove Cha Cha.