Race type - Mixed
Carlisle
Course details
Carlisle is England's most northerly dual-purpose track but don't let that put you off from visiting as it's a real gem. Situated in a country park on the outskirts of the historic town which gives the course its name and just a few miles south of Hadrian's Wall, the views afforded to racegoers are breathtaking.
You won't find any Listed or Group races being run here but the two historic handicaps, Cumberland Plate and Carlisle Bell, run at the same June meeting carry decent prize money and are competitive as a result.
GUIDE - For Racecourse
Right-handed, mixed, pear-shaped circuit of 1m4f, separate spur for 5f and 6f races.
Being England's most northerly city and lying close to the Scottish border, Carlisle has seen it's fair share of military action down the centuries and the racing action is often fiercely competitive too. The current site only came into existence in 1904 but racing in the area dates back much further with records of it taking place in 1599, with official annual meetings being staged in the 17th century. Situated as it is in beautiful parkland on the outskirts of the historic town, the modern racecourse provides a stunning backdrop for the summer flat meetings which take place here, with the proximity of the nearby M6 motorway allowing for each access and ensuring an occasional runner from the big southern yards.
Track / Draw Bias
The flat racing action takes place on the jumps course, with the obstacles removed of course. This has a bearing on the effect of the draw with those horses racing against the far inside rail (low numbers) able to take advantage of a fresh strip of ground previously occupied by the hurdles, while those drawn out wider on the course (high numbers) have to contend with a slower more raced-on surface. On soft ground, however, the bias swings completely around with the widest (high) drawn runners able to make a beeline for the fresher ground up the stands' rail.
Principal Races
You won't find any Listed or Group races being run here but the two historic handicaps, Cumberland Plate and Carlisle Bell, run at the same June meeting carry decent prize money and are competitive as a result. The latter contest can be traced back to Elizabethan times when, as the name suggests, bells were handed to the winning horses. How times change and the modern day runners compete for a winning cheque of over £15k.
Course Characteristics
The terrain here is far from flat with some severe undulations to test the runners and the last 4f is all uphill. The track can accommodate races of up to 1m6f, which are started on the home straight just to the right of the grandstand, and a separate spur at the end of the home straight provides the start for 5f and 6f races. As you'd expect, stamina is very much the order the day here, especially when the ground is riding soft, and the more stoutly-bred galloping types tend to do best.
Top Trainers
Richard Fahey is one of the most prolific-winning trainer in the north and his runners here should be given close inspection as evidenced by his 22 winners in the last five seasons at a respectable strike rate of 16%. Take note too of anything trained by Tim Easterby and Kevin Ryan, with all the latter's runners yielding a hefty level stakes profit of over £60 (£1 stake). Clearly bookmakers are guilty of underestimating his horses' chances. Brian Ellison and Bryan Smart also do well with their runners here.
Top Jockeys
Paul Hanagan leads the way numerically with 27 winners since 2007 at a strike rate of 20%, with most of them being trained by Fahey. Now retained by Sheikh Hamdan, he is likely to do more of his riding in the south and that's should provide more winning opportunities for the likes of David Allan, Tom Eaves, PJ McDonald and Phillip Makin, all of whom have enjoyed plenty of success here already.