Carlisle preview: Tempting the Eternal Stakes choice

Trainer William Haggas does extremely well with his runners at Carlisle, and Tempting can take the step up into Listed company in her stride to provide him with another winner in the 7f Eternal Stakes on today’s competitive seven-race card (16.10).

The Newmarket handler has a 44 per cent strike rate at the venue in recent years, saddling four winners from nine runners since 2013.

In Tempting he has an unexposed filly who after shaping with bags of promise when a close-up third on her debut at Newmarket opened her account in facile fashion at Thirsk 16 days ago.

The daughter of Pivotal travelled supremely well throughout the 7f contest, and after challenging on the bit a furlong from home only had to be nudged out to beat Madame Butterfly by 2 3/4 lengths.

Tempting showed a smart turn of foot to quickly put the race to bed and win with any amount in hand, and the front two pulled 10 lengths clear of the third home.

It was a performance which suggested the three-year-old was a very useful prospect who needed keeping firmly onside.

This demands much more, but Tempting remains open to stacks of improvement and can prove up to the task before going on to even better things.

In the Carlisle Bell (15.35), Ifwecan looks weighted to run a huge race at a decent price.

The Mark Johnston trained gelding was last successful at Musselburgh 12 months ago when bolting up by five lengths off a mark of 81, and went on to finish placed in decent class 2 contests at Sandown and York off 94.

Since then the four-year-old’s form has been very hit and miss, and Ifwecan has been very disapponiting in six runs this season.