Self praise is no recommendation, we know, but we do hope that you latched onto last week’s winning patent (Usherette 9/4, Portage 10/1 and Persuasive 11/4), which generated a profit of 234.25 points. Anyway, Wednesday sees the running of the historic Carlisle Bell (3.35) and the Carlisle Bell Consolation (3.00) so, while we’re in form, we’ve had a crack at another long odds double.
In the 3.00, Just Be Lucky finished a close fourth behind subsequent winner Ice Slice at Nottingham three starts ago and has since improved to win at Haydock and Wetherby. The Intense Focus gelding steps up in class off a 5lb higher mark, but is clearly going the right way and may be capable of completing a hat-trick. First-time blinkers are a slight worry, but Ivan Furtado has a decent strike rate with his older horses this season and can score with his first ever runner at the Cumbrian course.
In the 3.35, Alexandrakollontai won convincingly over a testing 7 furlongs at Leicester in May and was far from disgraced when a never-nearer fourth of eight, beaten 2½ lengths, behind Final Venture over 6 furlongs at Hamilton two weeks ago off his revised mark. The Amadeus Wolf mare remains on a career-high mark, but looks far from impossibly handicapped and should give us a good run for our money.
Selections: Carlisle 3.00 Just Be Lucky, Carlisle 3.35 Alexandrakollontai, 1-Point Win Double
