9:05 – Southwell – MIRROR PUNTERS CLUB HANDICAP (CLASS 6) (4yo+ 0-65) Standard 1m6f
Carnac has run 45 times in his UK career to date with 33 of his runs coming on an artificial surface of which 21 have come on the fibresand surface at Southwell. He did win on the flat turf in Dieppe when he was trained in France but all four of his UK wins have come at Southwell on the all weather track.
He runs in a Class 6 Handicap this evening which is his staple diet. He did have on run in a pattern race back in 2010 but in 15 runs at Class 5 and above he has won once and been placed twice, both of which were in Class 5 races. In Class 6 he has run 29 times winning 3 times and being placed on 10 other occasions. His record at Southwell in Class 6 races is three wins and seven placed efforts from fifteen runs, which illustrates that he is competitive at this level at the Nottinghamshire venue.
His overall record at Southwell is 4 wins and 8 placed runs from 21 races on the artificial surface. However, over this evenings trip of 1 mile 6 furlongs he has won twice and been placed 4 times from just 8 runs over the distance.
He runs off an Official Rating of 63 today which is the joint top weight in the race. His previous high winning mark was here when he won off 60 over today’s trip back in April. However, he does have a capable apprentice riding this evening. Willy Twiston-Davies who is the younger son of National Hunt trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies takes 7lbs off Carnac’s back which means that he effectively runs off 53. He won off 51 in December 2011 and 54 in March this year by a combined distance of 11 ½ lengths so can be effective off lower weights in these low grade handicaps. Interestingly, Willy Twiston-Davies has only ridden for Alan McCabe who trains Carnac once before when he won a 15 runner handicap at Carlisle at the end of June.
Carnac is clearly no superstar but he definitely reserves his best runs for the fibresand surface at Southwell. He comes into this evenings run off a fairly average performance at Doncaster when he finished 6th in an 11 runner race fully 9 lengths behind the winner. This is not a major concern as he has previously followed a disappointing run away from here with a good effort back on course.
