Carlisle, Towcester and Punchestown this evening

Mick Easterby has a fair chance of landing the two top handicaps at Carlisle this evening with Blue Spinnaker (James Sullivan) over 9 furlongs at 20.30 CET and seasonal debutant Ancient Cross (Graham Gibbons) over 7 furlongs half an hour later. In each case Paul Hanagan rides the main danger, Richard Fahey´s High Office in the former event and Kevin Ryan´s Nightjar in the latter, although My Gacho (Mark Johnston/ Jean-Pierre Guillambert) could also be dangerous here if back to the form he showed when winning 4 times running last summer.

There is also jumps racing this evening at Towcester in England and Punchestown in Ireland. asiöy th bst race is the 2 1/4 mil chase at th Irish track at 18.50. Only 8 runners here, but some useful performers, inlcuding Group One winner In Compliance (Dessie Hughes/ Paddy Flood), although he possibly needs much softer going. Coolcashin (Michael Bowe/ Tom Doyle) won here at the big meeting, but this race is almost a mile shorter. German-bred Schelm has a chance, but our main hope is Justified (Gordon Elliott/ Davy Russell). Otherwise there are enormous fields and winners very hard to find.

At Towcester, two last-time-out winners at Fontwell can score again - Lord Gunnerslake (Tim Vaughan/ Tony McCoy) at 20.10 and Alldunandusted (Seamus Mullins/ Jimmy Derham) at 20.40.