The first ever running of the Hadwins Motor Group Mares Hurdle Series comes up for decision at the opening day of Cartmel’s big August Bank Holiday fixture on Saturday.

With a bonus of £1,000 to the stable scoring most points in the Series, it is Northumberland trainer Pauline Robson who is in pole position to claim the prize after winning two of the four races so far with her French import Martila.

“We had been targeting the Hadwins Series, which we think is a great innovation for Cartmel, but we shall have to sit and suffer as we aren’t able to have a runner in the last leg this weekend,” said Robson’s partner and assistant trainer David Parker.

That leaves the door slightly ajar for either top Irish trainer Gordon Elliott or Harriet Graham, who are sharing second place to make a decisive move and claim the bonus prize at the last.

Two other competitions will also be decided over the August Bank Holiday with the Andrea Robinson Memorial Trophy going to the winner of the Cartmel Trainers Challenge and a prize of a luxury weekend at the Swan Hotel and Spa, Newby Bridge for the winner of the Cartmel Jockeys Challenge.

Local trainer James Moffatt is making a bold bid to retain the title he won for the first time last season and currently has 32 points giving him a healthy 10 points lead over Donald McCain with Gordon Elliott a further three points adrift.

In the Cartmel Jockeys Challenge, Brian Hughes on 34 leads by a single point from Henry Brooke, with early leader Richard Johnson still in touching distance on 24 points after riding on only four of the previous seven days.

Feature race on Saturday’s card is the Totepool Cartmel Cup, while Monday’s Bank Holiday fixture features two £18,500 races, the Coral Cavendish Cup Handicap Chase and the Coral Handicap Hurdle.