Richards has Flight of fancy

NICKY RICHARDS is famous for giving his horses plenty of time and he looks ready to strike this afternoon with the lightly raced

(nap) in the 1.20 at Carlisle.

In both a bumper and a novice hurdle, this well-bred sort has been badly outpaced.

But up half a mile in trip and at the stiff Cumbrian track, he looks well worth going to war with against the penalised Mr Scrumpy and Equus Dancer.

The big race of the day is the £30,000-added Listed Houghton Mares Chase at 1.50 and could see Nicky double up as there is no doubt that Atlanta Ablaze has a real engine inside.

But her jumping can sometimes be haphazard and she may have to give best to

She wasn’t very fluent when last of four at this track behind Lostintranslation.

But we know what that winner has done since and this is a massive drop in grade for this daughter of Gold Well.

One Night In Milan will have to give an awful lot of weight away in the staying handicap hurdle at 2.20 and in the deep ground could well be vulnerable to the bottom weight

a lightly raced nine-year-old who has undergone two wind operations.

But staying was always going to be the name of the game for him and he gets a full 26lbs from his rival.

The icing on the cake is that young Rachael McDonald takes an extra 5lbs off his back and he looks solid value to turn over the market leaders here.

Trainer Sue Smith had a really moderate period but her horses have all of a sudden turned a corner and she looks likely to land the finale, a bumper at 3.25 with