4:30 – Carlisle - COMLONGON CASTLE HANDICAP (CLASS 3) (3yo+ 0-95) Good To Soft 7f200y
Osteopathic Remedy comes into this race on the back of a win at Ripon on his last run and is actually stepping down in grade from Class 2 to Class 3 today. The 8 year old chestnut gelding is already a course and distance winner at Carlisle and the soft underfoot conditions should not be an inconvenience and after a generally disappointing season it is hoped that he can continue his winning form this afternoon.
Osteopathic Remedy has been a fine servant to his connections over the years and in 66 starts he has won £128,838 in prize money. He has only run in pattern class races once and has generally run in top end handicaps. In fact today is the first time that he has run outside of a Class 2 Handicap since July last year – which he won – some 12 starts back.
He runs over 1 mile today, a trip he has run over 37 times on the turf flat during his career. He has won on 9 occasions and been placed a further 8 times which gives a win and place strike rate of 45.9% over the trip. The going at Carlisle is currently Good to Soft but with plenty of overnight rain and more rain forecast during the day the going could easily turn to Soft. Osteopathic Remedy winning form across the going ranges, having won in Good, Good to Soft, Soft and Heavy ground, so should be well equipped to run well today. His course and distance win came in Soft ground.
It is not a total surprise that he has found some winning form at this time of the year as he has run well in the past in August and September winning four times and being placed 5 times from 16 runs. Phillip Makin rides today and he knows Osteopathic Remedy well as he has ridden him 34 times in the past including two of his wins. Phillip should be full of confidence as he had two winners at Newcastle on Monday as well as another winner at Thirsk on Saturday.
Osteopathic Remedy’s win at Ripon on his last start in a Class 2 handicap came in Good to Soft going and in the final furlong he stayed on well to win by 1 ½ lengths. He has been put up 6lbs for the win which means that he runs off a handicap mark of 91 today. However, this is still 1lb below his previous best winning mark that he achieved over 1 mile at Newcastle in Heavy ground. With course and distance winning form and the ability to win in soft ground his hold up style could well see him picking off opponents when he is asked for his effort up the hill at Carlisle this afternoon and he looks to have decent each way chances at a current price of 6/1.
