Monday Racing Tips: Pretending can be the real deal at Carlisle

There are two interesting National Hunt meetings taking place across Britain and Ireland on Monday and a couple of all-weather meetings to complete the action.

Lingfield is first off and it’s swiftly followed by Punchestown and Carlisle, while an eight-race card from Southwell takes us into the evening.

Amongst our Monday fancies is one for Lucy Wadham that competed in a better race last time out and looks set to go close off a 1lb lower mark this time around.

14:32 Carlisle - Drumlee Spud @ 11/4

Ben Pauling’s Drumlee Spud has put in two very respectable efforts in her short hurdling career so far and could be the one to side with.

The daughter of Malinas won her sole Irish point before joining Pauling’s yard and she was second in a bumper at Worcester on her rules debut back in September.

She came very close to getting off the mark on her first start over timber at Bangor in October, where she finished second by a neck. Keeping on very nicely that day, she only just failed to catch the winner.

The stiff track here should be to her liking on that evidence and she’s likely to be in the mix once again.

Pauling’s six-year-old had every chance when taking an unfortunate tumble at the last flight at Stratford when last seen and it would be no surprise to see her gain compensation and shed her maiden tag at the third time of asking here.

15:15 Lingfield - Eagle Eyed Tom @ 12/1

Eagle Eyed Tom is an interesting contender for the 1m2f handicap at 15:15 and is still lightly raced and therefore potentially unexposed.

He’s fairly new to the Ian Williams yard and put in a much better effort on his second start for new connections over course and distance last time out.

His sole win came on his final start for Charles Hills at Beverley in August and he did well to gain victory.

It’s often important to race handily at Beverley and Eagle Eyed Tom got off to a slow start that day, before making good progress in the last couple of furlongs to win comfortably in the end.

Fourth over course and distance last time out, the handicapper has dropped him 1lb and that leaves him on a mark which is just 4lb higher than his last winning one.

The best is probably yet to come from this horse and he should be winning more races sooner rather than later.

15:32 Carlisle - Pretending @ 10/3

Pretending could be one to look out for and Lucy Wadham’s five-year-old really catches the eye in this race. Bryony Frost’s mount would appear to have every chance of getting the job done.

She got off the mark in cosy fashion off just a 2lb lower mark at Sandown over 2m4f on her penultimate start and she should be capable of putting in a similar performance over this stiff 2m1f.

Fourth in a very competitive novice handicap at Lingfield on her last start, that race was much hotter than this event. The winner of that race is a particularly useful prospect and Pretending lost nothing in defeat.

The handicapper dropped her 1lb for that effort, which can only help her chances in this seemingly more winnable race.