Ribble Valley can return with victory at Carlisle

RIBBLE Valley is expected to make a successful start to his season at Carlisle.

The dual bumper winner was one of the most exciting novice hurdlers on the northern circuit last term, following up a wide-margin win on his jumping debut at Hexham last November with a similarly dominant display at Wetherby a few weeks later.

The Nicky Richards-trained sevenyear-old was subsequently sent off favourite for the Grade Two Supreme Trial at Ascot - and while he came up short behind Master Debonair, he finished a clear second, ahead of McFabulous among others.

Richards felt conditions were too testing for his latest stable star in Berkshire and planned a spring campaign on better ground before the coronavirus pandemic brought an early end to his campaign.

With a decent racing surface set to prevail in Cumbria, the Watch Irish Racing On racingtv.com Intermediate Hurdle looks an ideal comeback target for a horse with plenty of potential.

It could be another profitable afternoon for Richards at his local track, because the Greystoke handler also looks to have excellent claims of striking gold with No Regrets in the racingtv.com Handicap Hurdle.

The Presenting gelding has taken a little while to find his feet over obstacles, but that did at least mean he entered handicaps from a workable mark of 99.

Since placing third on his handicap bow at Perth in July, No Regrets has won by 16 lengths at Southwell and a massive 36 lengths at Stratford to confirm himself very much on a steep upward curve.

The assessor responded to his latest triumph by raising him 11lb to a rating of 117, but it may not be enough to stop him completing his hat-trick under champion jockey Brian Hughes.