Lucky 15 Tips: Skelton runner heads Thursday’s four

A busy Thursday is in store for racing fans, with six meetings across the UK and Ireland offering a little something for all tastes.

I've put together some Lucky 15 tips - featuring a chase debutant for the Skeltons who head to Carlisle - encompassing four of the cards.

14:10 Ludlow - La Marquise @ 8/11

Race two on the card at Ludlow is the Gary Slater Memorial Novices' Hurdle and it could be a contest worth paying close attention to.

Once-raced bumper winners Kalium and Stone's Throw for Tim Vaughan and Billy Aprahamian respectively are notables, but Jamie Snowden saddles LA MARQUISE and his filly could conquer them both for now.

She won a Stratford junior fillies' bumper in November last year and ran well in all three starts after, including Listed and Grade 2 events at Cheltenham on New Year's Day and Aintree in the spring either side of winning at Chepstow in March.

The Aintree contest in particular looks a nice bit of form, the race throwing up four hurdles winners, and this filly has every chance of adding to their number on her jumping bow after a summer break.

14:55 Carlisle - Illico De Cotte @ 9/4

The Skelton team are starting to pick things up a notch, with brothers Dan and Harry teaming up for a winner at Exeter on Tuesday, and they may have another at Carlisle when ILLICO DE COTTE makes his chasing bow in the David Allen Novices' Handicap Chase.

The Irish point-to-point winner showed promise over hurdles last season at Lingfield and Wincanton before scoring at Hereford (3m1½f, soft) in maiden company in February.

His final two starts in handicap/novice company were fair, if not spectacular, but it was always likely he would go on and do better things once jumping a fence.

Three and a quarter miles around Carlisle looks an optimal starting point, with the stiff course and the fair obstacles offering plenty of hope he can make a winning start in this sphere.

15:48 Nottingham - Arcon @ 14/1

French import ARCON was a winner at Chantilly last year before moving to Jennie Candlish and, after four runs for this handler, the signs are that the gelding is soon going to be opening his account on British soil.

He has improved in each of those four runs and went closest last time on the Tapeta at Newcastle over an extended two-miles off a 1lb lower mark than he must defy here.

He was giving a chunk of weight to a very consistent Gosforth Park stayer in Unique Spirit in that contest and travelled best to get to the front with a two-furlongs left to run.

It would be unfair to suggest he didn't see it out, the winner very strong in the finish and getting 19lb from the older horse, but Arcon could be very hard to beat dropped slightly in trip and he has soft-ground form in France to boot.

18:30 Southwell - Ruby Rascal @ 9/4

Low-grade nursery fare here and RUBY RASCAL is one to note after an eye-catching second at Chelmsford four weeks ago.

The filly came through the pack despite some trouble in running to finish best off behind the all-the-way winner.

That was only her second start on a synthetic surface and her first at this 7f trip and there should be more to come in this basement company.

As a guide, a £0.25p each-way Lucky 15 on today's selections, at the prices, and assuming all four won, would return around £231 for your total £7.50 stake.

Fred, 'The Bonus King,' invented the 'Lucky' series of bets and their bonuses. My colleague Adam has set out all you need to know with this handy guide - take a look by clicking here.

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