Carlisle Racecourse stages its biggest Jump raceday of the season on Sunday 2nd November, with the seven-race card headlined by the £40,000 Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase.
Run over two and a half miles and carrying Listed status, the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase commemorates the late Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Colin Parker, who was based at Lockerbie in Scotland. The race is restricted to first and second season chasers with its impressive roll of honour featuring the likes of future Grade One winners Lostintranslation, Waiting Patiently, Cyrname and Monet’s Garden, plus Grand National hero Many Clouds.
Two years ago the contest went to Thunder Rock, trained by Olly Murphy and partnered by future champion jockey Sean Bowen. The same trainer/jockey combination are set to be represented this time around by Resplendent Grey.
The seven-year-old ended his first season over fences in the best possible fashion when landing the bet365 Gold Cup on the last day of the 2024/25 season at Sandown Park in April, and is all ready to go again at Carlisle on Sunday according to his trainer.
Murphy, who trains at Wilmcote in Warwickshire, currently has his stable in tremendous form with 10 of his latest 22 runners being successful – at an enviable strike rate of 45 per cent.
He reported today: “It’s absolutely the plan for Resplendent Grey to go to Carlisle on Sunday, as long as the ground is on the slow side of good. We are just going to need some rain but hopefully it looks like there is some in the forecast.
“He is in good form and this looks a lovely race to start him off in. He has done well over the summer and we are looking forward to getting going with him again.
“He is versatile distance-wise, and this will be very much a race to open his lungs before he goes for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury next month. Hopefully, Sunday will put him spot on.”
A strong entry of 11 for the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase also includes Haiti Couleurs. Trained in Wales by Rebecca Curtis, the eight-year-old won the Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase at last season’s Cheltenham Festival before ending the campaign with a very valuable success in the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday.
Handstands (Ben Pauling) and The Changing Man (Joe Tizzard) were both Graded winners last season, while the chances of a locally trained winner lie with Scottish Champion Chase victor The Kalooki Kid (Nicky Richards) and Hombre De Guerra (Nick Alexander), who ended last season with two impressive victories at Ayr.
