3:50 Carlisle
This Class 6 handicap over 7f173y at Carlisle on good to soft ground features a field of 12 modest performers, several of whom are dropping in class or trip. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Between Me And U heading the numbers on 57, closely followed by Union Island on 56 and a trio on 53. Trainer records at the track vary from modest to useful, while several runners bring placed course form and varying degrees of confidence on the ground.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape suggests a race that should be run at a genuine gallop with a mix of front-runners and prominent racers ensuring an even tempo. Between Me And U and Union Island are likely to be held up off the pace from their wide draws in stalls 10 and 11, while Soames Forsyte from stall 2 and Beaming Light from stall 1 could be forward early. The key question is whether the prominent runners can dictate matters or if the race will fall apart late, allowing the hold-up performers to close in on the straight.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Between Me And U KTB Selection57/100Modest performer who has been placed on good to soft ground and has won over today's trip.
- 2Union Island56/100Modest performer who has won six times over today's trip but is 0-5 on good to soft ground and was well held when last seen over 1m1f.
- 3Soames Forsyte53/100Modest performer who has been a regular in this grade without making much of an impact lately.
- 4Bellasio53/100Modest performer who has shown consistent placed form here including a win from three runs at Carlisle.
- 5Runninsonofagun53/100Modest performer who has shown enough at Carlisle to be competitive, finishing placed on three of four visits including a second last season.
- 6Age Of Time52/100Age Of Time is a limited handicapper who has been consistent enough to place three times from his last six starts without winning.
- 7Gainsbourg51/100Modest performer who has been out of form for some time and finished last on both starts this year.
- 8Hostility50/100Modest performer who has been running to form without winning lately and was placed over course and distance on good to soft last time out.
- 9Betty Bassett50/100Limited performer who has been placed once in four starts at this trip but was well held on return at 1m last time.
- 10Jewel Maker48/100Modest 11-year-old who has won once in six runs at Carlisle and also has a win on good to soft ground from just three attempts.
- 11Jkr Cobbler42/100Jkr Cobbler is a limited performer who has been on the go for a long time and rarely wins these days.
- 12Beaming Light38/100Beaming Light is a limited performer who has been on the go for a long time and showed only modest efforts in recent starts.
The contenders
Between Me And U KTB Fit 57/100
Between Me And U is a modest performer who has been placed on good to soft ground and has won over today's trip. He drops back from 1m1½f for Michael Herrington, whose yard has a 9% strike rate at Carlisle from 43 runs. David Nolan takes the ride with the pair showing a 1/13 record together. This is his first run at the course and he is drawn wide in stall 10. His recent form of 7326-6 suggests he remains capable at this level when conditions align.
Union Island KTB Fit 56/100
Union Island is a modest performer who has won six times over today's trip but is 0-5 on good to soft ground and was well held when last seen over 1m1f. He drops back in trip again and makes his first appearance at Carlisle for Charlie Johnston, whose yard has a 16% strike rate here from 63 runs. Connor Beasley is in the saddle with the pair recording a 17/91 strike rate together. Drawn in stall 11, he will need to overcome both the ground and his wide starting position to be involved.
Soames Forsyte KTB Fit 53/100
Soames Forsyte is a modest performer who has been a regular in this grade without making much of an impact lately. He has won over today's trip but only once in 27 attempts and his record on good to soft is also ordinary with one win from five starts. Michael Herrington's yard has a 9% strike rate at Carlisle from 43 runs while Oisin Orr rides with a 10% strike rate at the track. He has one previous run here when finishing ninth and lines up from stall 2.
Bellasio KTB Fit 53/100
Bellasio is a modest performer who has shown consistent placed form here including a win from three runs at Carlisle. Recent efforts have been a bit lacklustre but he has the ability to be competitive on this ground having placed once from two starts on good to soft. Grant Tuer has a solid 15% strike rate at the track from 94 runs while Oliver Stammers takes the ride with the pair showing a 65/532 record together. He drops in class from stall 7.
Runninsonofagun KTB Fit 53/100
Runninsonofagun is a modest performer who has shown enough at Carlisle to be competitive, finishing placed on three of four visits including a second last season. He drops back from 1m1f to a trip he has won over and has placed on good to soft from one run. Tristan Davidson's yard has an 11% strike rate at the track from 75 runs while Rowan Scott rides with the pair recording a 17/87 strike rate together. He lines up from stall 6 with recent form of 23-083.
The rest of the field
Age Of TimeKTB Fit 52/100
Age Of Time is a limited handicapper who has been consistent enough to place three times from his last six starts without winning. He drops back in trip today having been placed once in three runs at this distance and makes his first appearance at Carlisle. Steph Hollinshead holds a strong 25% strike rate here from 28 runs though the horse remains unproven on good to soft ground.
GainsbourgKTB Fit 51/100
Gainsbourg is a modest performer who has been out of form for some time and finished last on both starts this year. He has never been closer than eighth in four runs at Carlisle and his yard's 8% strike rate here from 79 attempts offers little encouragement. He drops back from 1m2f to a trip he has won at before while good to soft ground should be fine from stall 9.
HostilityKTB Fit 50/100
Hostility is a modest performer who has been running to form without winning lately and was placed over course and distance on good to soft last time out. Dropping back from 1m1f looks a neutral move at best given one previous run at this trip brought no success. David O'Meara and Daniel Tudhope team up from stall 12 with the yard holding an 11% strike rate at Carlisle from 217 runs.
Betty BassettKTB Fit 50/100
Betty Bassett is a limited performer who has been placed once in four starts at this trip but was well held on return at 1m last time. She drops back in distance today while making a first appearance at Carlisle where the yard has a solid 10% strike rate. Unproven on good to soft ground adds an unknown from stall 3.
Jewel MakerKTB Fit 48/100
Jewel Maker is a modest 11-year-old who has won once in six runs at Carlisle and also has a win on good to soft ground from just three attempts. He drops back in trip today having last run over 1m1f, a distance at which he has scored three times from 20 starts. Tim Easterby and David Allan team up with the yard holding a 10% strike rate at the track from 1288 runs from stall 5.
Jkr CobblerKTB Fit 42/100
Jkr Cobbler is a limited performer who has been on the go for a long time and rarely wins these days. He has shown some liking for Carlisle and acts well on good to soft ground but steps up in trip today having achieved little in two previous tries at this distance. Iain Jardine and Jack Nicholls team up from stall 4 with the yard holding a 7% strike rate at the track.
Beaming LightKTB Fit 38/100
Beaming Light is a limited performer who has been on the go for a long time and showed only modest efforts in recent starts. He drops back to a trip where he has won three times from 11 attempts but has failed to place in three runs on good to soft ground. This is his first appearance at Carlisle from stall 1 with the yard recording an 8% strike rate from 65 runs.
KTB verdict
Between Me And U is the KTB Selection. A modest performer with placed form on good to soft and a win over today's trip, he drops back from 1m1½f for a yard with a 9% strike rate at Carlisle. His ability to race off the pace could be an advantage if the race is truly run. The main dangers are Runninsonofagun, who has shown strong placed form at the track and drops to a winning trip, and Bellasio, who brings a win and placed efforts from three runs at Carlisle. Union Island and Hostility are others who can feature if the ground and pace suit.
KTB Selection Between Me And U
This is the narrative read of the 3:50 Carlisle. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Carlisle racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the strongest course record among the principals?
Runninsonofagun has finished placed on three of four visits to Carlisle including a second last season, while Bellasio has a win from three runs here.
How does the good to soft ground affect the leading contenders?
Between Me And U has been placed on good to soft, Runninsonofagun has placed on it from one run, Bellasio has placed once from two starts on it, but Union Island is 0-5 on the surface.
Which trainers have the best strike rates at Carlisle in this race?
Steph Hollinshead has a 25% strike rate at Carlisle from 28 runs, Grant Tuer has 15% from 94 runs and Charlie Johnston has 16% from 63 runs.
What is the draw situation for the top two in the KTB Fit rankings?
Between Me And U is drawn in stall 10 and Union Island in stall 11, both wide draws in a field of 12.
Which runners are dropping in class for this handicap?
Union Island, Soames Forsyte, Bellasio, Runninsonofagun, Gainsbourg and Betty Bassett are all dropping in class.
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