slowly into stride, behind, ridden over halfway, kept on one pace, no impression final furlong
mid-division, ridden over 2f out, switched left over 1f out, kept on towards finish
slowly into stride, soon chasing leaders, ridden well over 1f out, kept on
towards rear, ridden over halfway, kept on, no impression final furlong
always towards rear
with winner, ridden 2f out, weakened final furlong
very slow away, always well behind
tracked leaders, ridden 2f out, kept on final furlong
A tricky juvenile contest to start Carlisle's card, but with a handy high draw we'll go for Michael Bell's Merchant to land the spoils, although there are several dangers. They include Jamie Osborne's Crocodile Kiss, who was slightly hampered at the start at Kempton on her debut and is sure to feature here if showing any improvement. Hughie Morrison's Naval Force is related to several winners and shaped quite well on the polytrack at Lingfield last time, and has to be respected, as do three of the four newcomers in the race. Grandos is a Cadeaux Genereux half-brother to the stable's smart sprinter Hot Tin Roof, so any market moves for David Allan's mount could be worth noting. Nasseem Dubai and Rainbow Rising are both likely types on breeding, but we just prefer Merchant. This Tagula colt stepped up on a promising debut at Folkestone when he finished third to the useful Cammies Future at Doncaster last time. He was well clear of the fourth that day, so the form looks solid. Michael Bell doesn't send many juveniles to this northern outpost and the journey can prove worthwhile for Merchant.
