Daily Dial #42 – Mon 16 Feb – One Bet at Carlisle

A short and sharp Daily Dial today, with a single bet on the day following a trainer in blistering form, who only has one runner on the day. A handicap debutant in a race that looks lacking in depth at this grade, hopefully it’s another good bit of placement.

A yard who have won with six of their last eleven National Hunt runners, or eight of their last eleven runners when including the All Weather, albeit record breaking Aisling Oscar has made up for a chunk of them.

Azahara Palace makes handicap bow over hurdles and with a 2nd place and a win from her three starts over them, it’s no surprise she has been given an opening mark of 110. It’s not a mark that makes her look a penalty kick by any means.

However, the race looks to be seriously lacking in any depth for this grade, with 25/1 shot Russian Virtue (who hasn’t won since 2023), and 9/1 chance Two Auld Pals (suffers the steer of Greg Walkingshaw), the only two in the race who have won more than once at this level.

There are a few others in there who could be anything and go unexposed, but with a yard in as rattling form as this, I think it’s worth taking a shot at 5/1 that they have picked another perfect race.

They don’t send many to Carlisle, which looked a clue in itself. Since the turn of 2024, they’ve only sent seven runners here, with one winner and only two of the seven finishing out of the frame. Suggests they go trying!