Erica Could Improve At Cartmel

Gold Chain ran a shocker on Saturday, even though she was very well backed. She halved in  price to 11/2, but ran like a 200/1 shot. I have decided to return to the scene of the crime for today's selection, Erica Starprincess, who goes in the 2.45.
This horse caught my eye all the way back in 2013, when she was a fast finishing third in a juvenile hurdle at Sedgefield over 17F on good to soft ground at odds of 100/1. She was admittedly receiving a fair chunk of weight from some of her rivals that day, but it was a decent effort, and she shaped as if a step up in trip would definitely suit.
However, she obviously must have had a few problems at home since that run, as she didn't see a racecourse for 18 months, before returning with a couple of low key efforts on the level at Catterick and Ripon. She made her return to jumps over today's course and distance on good ground in a maiden hurdle, and was in the process of running a decent race when unseating Joe Colliver four out. It was too early to say whether she would have been involved at the finish, but she jumped well in the main until unshipping Colliver and looked as if she handled the quirky track.
Her next run, again in a maiden hurdle on good ground, saw her dropped to 20.5F at Southwell, and today's jockey Richie McClernon took the reins for the first time. She was dropped in, and after getting outpaced half a mile from home McClernon simply pushed her out under hands and heels, and she came home fifth, well behind the principals but keeping on pretty well. She jumped nicely, and it was an effort that would have rebuilt her confidence after unseating on her previous run.
Her next start, again in maiden company over today's course and distance, was another eyecatching effort. She was dropped out well in rear again, but made rapid headway on the wide outside after the eighth fence to move almost upsides the leader. She did weaken pretty quickly, but it was fast ground that day and the fact she had to travel so wide  to make up the ground meant it was inevitable she would blow up in the closing stages.
She makes her hurdling handicap debut today, and she gets the same sort of ground on which she had the best run of her career so far. Richie McClernon heads to Cartmel to renew acquaintances with the daughter of Bollin Eric, and interestingly it is is only ride of the day. It will be disappointing if she can't show some sort of improvement off what could turn out to be a generous mark of 83.

Selection: 2.45 Cartmel- Erica Starprincess (16/1) each way.