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Murphy hurdler travelled so well when winning at Southwell
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Carlisle the scene for Eire Steet's huge win last term
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Alan Dudman has a 20/121.00 double for Carlisle's Thursday card
Harry Fry's unexposed horses usually start too short for me, and while I like the trainer, I tend to avoid his short-priced runners these days.
In opposition in the Carlisle 14:20 Novices' Hurdle over 2m4f is Olly Murphy's Barlovento, and he landed a Southwell race on his hurdling debut nicely and I like the way he travelled in that.
Backers of the horse that day at Southwell would have felt ultra-confident going into the straight as he was cruising, and when well clear it was game over for the others. He did wobble around a bit and almost got caught, but I put that down to his inexperience and greenness.
Also he might have got tired in the testing ground.
He steps up to 2m4f and on pedigree that will suit and his trainer Murphy is enjoying a good run at the moment with eight winners in the last two weeks at 29%.
A couple of old-timers are in the 15:30 2m1f Handicap Hurdle and while some have a limp list of performances to their name, Eire Street has no such issues and he is on a belated third win from four starts on his return for Thursday.
Last winter he absolutely hosed up by 25L in terrible ground over CD in February, and while he was hit hard by the handicapper subsequently with a rise from 91 to 106 for a creditable second at Kelso, in between he won under a penalty.
Soft ground suits clearly and he still has a bit of scope to win a few more from his current mark judged on that Kelso second. Indeed that was in the Class 2 Go North Cab On Target Final Handicap Hurdle - and he could have done with a stronger pace too with the gallop less than satisfactory.
With a return to Carlisle and plenty of promise from his days in Ireland, he might take a bit of catching if he's fully tuned up for his first run.
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