A preview of this afternoon's racing at Carlisle, via Racing TV...

The jumps season is back in full swing at Carlisle on Thursday afternoon with an eight-race card on offer in what is likely to be very testing conditions. 

The ground at the track is currently soft, heavy in places, which means those runners who like a bit of cut in the ground will come to the fore, with racing getting underway at 1.20pm and rounding off four hours later at 5.20. 

Up first is a handicap hurdle over 2m4 for conditional jockeys, where the in-form Lucinda russel yard should have a major player in Diamond State, who is returning to action after a wind operation and has previously ran well when coming off a break. Sachoandvanzetti rates as the main danger having been a runner up on all three starts since switching to the Fergal O’Brien yard. 

Race two of the afternoon (1.50) is a handicap chase in class three, where Nelson - a grade two winner of hurdles - should go well. Snake Roll is an interesting debutant over fences having looked very handy as a hurdler before making the switch while Fringell Dike is a multiple winner over hurdles as well. 

The division one novice hurdle at 2.25 has Cabhfuilfungi as the main player following the withdrawal of favourite Easter Junction, and it’s likely to be between the seven-year-old and Making Headway, a winner of an Irish point-to-points last year and makes his national hunt debut at Carlisle. 

The midway point of the card at 3.00 sees Irish raider Fizzle Rock head over the water for trainer Nigel Slevin, a winner of a Down Royal bumper last season and goes back down in trip here. The main danger will come from Land Genie, a half brother to superstar hurdler Constitution Hill and who made a winning debut over obstacles at Huntingdon on his first run. 

Race five at 3.35 sees 11 runners head to post for the handicap chase and sees an interesting runner in Guetapan Collonges, who won twice in handicaps last year, dropping down in grade having been given a handy mark by the handicapper. Wassell Dundalk has enjoyed a step up in trip and secured a hat trick earlier this season at Perth in successive runs, so rates as the chief danger.

The sixth race of the afternoon at 4.10 is a class five handicap hurdle over the extended two mile trip and Kilbrainy is the selection, having got off the mark earlier this month with victory at Kelso and escapes a penalty as well. 

The penultimate race on the card at 4.45 looks a very competitive handicap chase, which could throw up a number of winners. Preference perhaps goes to Massini Man, who despite being 8lb higher in the weights has been bang in form for the Sandy Thomson yard. Missed Tee has won twice over hurdles previously and makes her chasing debut here, while Netywell also arrives will in-form.

The card closes at 5.20 with a bumper - a Flat race ran over jumps rules - where point-to-point recruit Tommys Law gets the nod on rules debut. 

Carlisle - Thursday selections

1.20 - Diamond State

1.50 - Snake Roll

2.25 - Making Headway

3.00 - Fizzle Rock

3.35 - Guetapan Collonges

4.10 - Kilbrainy

4.45 - Missed Tee

5.20 - Tommys Law