Sunday Racing Tips: When Two become one…

There’s two meetings of National Hunt racing in the UK on Sunday, while in Ireland they go over flat and jumps.

Among our Sunday racing tips is a quality flat horse who makes his handicap debut over obstacles at Carlisle for his in-form trainer.

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

14:15 Carlisle - Two Brothers @ 5/2

Three runs at the back end of the last flat season were a bit of a non-event for Mick and David Easterby’s eight-year-old TWO BROTHERS, but after a good 2024 his inflated rating was always going to be tough to overcome and he has done well in two starts over hurdles this winter.

Wins off flat ratings of 86 and 87 demonstrate his latent ability, and although ratings under different codes can be a minefield, it would be surprising if he wasn’t able to be very competitive over hurdles from an opening mark of 110.

Those qualifying runs both came on Wetherby’s flat track, and it is encouraging that he won on his one run at Carlisle’s flat course, with good runs also at Beverley and Hamilton demonstrating how well suited he is to a stiff finish.

His best flat performances, and all his wins, came in a visor, so the enlistment of cheekpieces, the first piece of headgear in his new discipline, should be seen as an encouraging sign for a yard that has struck with two of their last four jumps runners.

15:17 Carlisle - Raffles Wonder @ 9/1

Rebecca Menzies often targets this meeting and has had plenty of winners in recent years, including RAFFLES WONDER in this last year, and he is likely to be tough to beat again.

Surely targeted at this valuable race all season, three runs this winter have seen his mark come down to only 2lb higher than last year and with conditions coming in his favour he can retain his crown.

There was no fluke about his decisive 2025 victory, which came in a field of similar quality, and although his first two runs this season were disappointing there was much more encouragement in his latest start.

That came at Sedgefield, returned to around two miles, and after coming under pressure early and looking like he may tail off at one stage, he stayed on well to the line to be beaten just over seven lengths.

He never looked at ease on rain-softened ground that day, and with Carlisle’s going stick reading already as quick as last year and with drying weather to come, underfoot conditions are set to be very similar to his rout and he can repeat the dose.

15:52 Carlisle - Red Delta @ 6/1

Connections of course and distance winner Hudson De Grugy will be desperate for the going to remain on the softer side to allow the nine-year-old to take his chance, but it is likely to be much quicker than when he won here last time and conditions have instead come in favour of RED DELTA.

Fiona Needham’s progressive seven-year-old doesn’t look to have reached his ceiling yet, with his run from out of the handicap in the Eider Chase last time rating his best ever run.

That was a Class 2, like today’s race, but it was a much classier affair than this, hence Red Delta carrying 11-12 today, and as he was out of the handicap last time it means that he effectively races off 3lb lower this afternoon.

Good ground is perfectly fine for the gelding, and he proved himself this way round when taking the Lincolnshire National on Boxing Day with something to spare.

The stiff finish here should play to his strengths and as long as Jack Andrews can keep him in contention expect this strong stayer to come up the hill better than everything else.

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