RACING Get in the abbey habit at Carlisle

CULTRAM ABBEY can atone for a recent slip-up at Carlisle when he returns to the Cumbria circuit for the Thornby Veterans’ Handicap Chase.

Trained in nearby Greystoke by Nicky Richards, the 10-year-old has only won once over fences, and that was way back in January 2016.

That slightly problematic statistic looked to have finally been laid to rest at Carlisle on February 20 when he took charge of an extended threemile handicap chase.

Cultram Abbey only had the final fence to worry about, but it all unravelled quite spectacularly as he fell with the race at his mercy.

Richards’ chagrin will no doubt have since been compounded by the fact the assessor has raised him 4lb for this assignment.

That was perhaps to be expected, however, as Cultram Abbey really did boss that Carlisle race until he hit the deck.

He would, too, now be considerably higher in the weights had he actually stayed on his feet so all hope is most certainly not lost from a handicapping perspective.

Some real golden oldies have been declared for this veterans’ handicap chase, but Cultram Abbey is only just eligible for these sort of races and, by contrast to others, there is probably a wee bit more to come as he has only had 10 tries over fences in his lifetime.

Keep an eye on Magic Dancer, who goes in the novices’ handicap hurdle earlier on the card.

Charlie Longsdon’s representative has been a solid yardstick over hurdles, but he has yet to win in five starts.

But it is surely a matter of time before that unwanted record is stricken from the record as he has been placed four times.

Magic Dancer runs at Carlisle on the same mark off which he finished third at Kempton last month, and this does not look quite as good a race.

It is also interesting to see him step up in trip.