Cheshire-based trainer Donald McCain recently became the first to hit a century of winners in Britain this season and he aims to continue his unprecedented run of success with five hopefuls on Carlisle’s Monday card. Check out our thoughts on his entrants below, along with an exclusive bet365 sign-up offer of Bet £10 – Get £50 In Free Bets!
MASKED CRUSADER – (12:30pm, Eden Novices’ Hurdle)
Half-brother to a French hurdles winner and out of a half-sister to a Grade 1 juvenile hurdler. Close third in a Punchestown Point-To-Point bumper in March, before going on to finish second in a Point at the end of last year.
Has subsequently joined current connections and the market should provide a good gauge on what to expect from him, but he looks more of a long-term project at this stage.
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MALPAS – (2:10pm, Caldew Handicap Hurdle)
Twice a faller at Sedgefield last spring but jumping issues appeared to have been resolved when making a winning seasonal reappearance over course and distance in October.
That success came in novice company, yet he wasn’t disgraced in handicaps the next twice and put up a career best RPR in defeat when runner-up at Catterick on New Year’s Day.
The front two pulled 27l clear of the remainder there, and the form was franked in no uncertain terms when the winner, Socialist Agenda, took Saturday’s Scottish County Hurdle. Returning to handicaps off an untouched mark looks enticing for Malpas backers on that evidence, yet he bumps into Zabeel Champion here, who runs off an opening hurdles mark of 116 despite being rated 103 on the flat.
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LADY TREMAINE – (2:45pm, British Stallion EBF Mares’ “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle)
Picked up for £40,000 after landing a point-to-point in May 2019 yet has been limited to just the five starts for these connections.
Justified favouritism to make a winning handicap debut; first-time cheekpieces applied, at Bangor in December, and that form has been franked by the second since.
She failed to supplement that when sent off the favourite at Chepstow last month, yet she steps up in trip here which should suit and this looks a weak novice, with her main market rival rated just 1lb higher and currently 0-5 under rules.
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MACKENBERG – (3:20pm, Lune Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase)
2-2 here at Carlisle, supplementing a 6l bumper victory when landing a novice hurdle here in October 2020.
28/1 fourth in the Grade 2 Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle last year, and he bettered that showing when scoring (career best RPR) on chase debut at Musselburgh last month, that despite a round of less than perfect jumps.
Open to improvement in this sphere and a 4lb rise looks far from excessive, but this represents a jump in class coming up against last time out winners Cornerstone Lad and Tokay Dokey, and he is expected to find at least one of those rivals too good.
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MAXIMILIAN – (4:25pm, Lyne Open National Hunt Flat Race)
Flat-bred being a half-brother to a French juvenile winner and out of a German winner.
Landed a Rathcannon point-to-point on debut in October and subsequently joined current connections, who are 8-26 in bumpers this season and 4-15 with their bumper winners at this track in recent seasons.
Likely player here on rules debut with Brian Hughes booked.
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