MUSSELBURGH – 1st January 2015
Going – Good to soft, turning Soft (rain throughout)
Musselburgh rang in 2015 at their ever popular New Year’s
Day meeting, a crowd of 4,250 attending to watch a competitive card supported
by the New Year Sprint for the human athletes. This despite a windy and rainy
day which caused the ground to soften during the afternoon.
12:25 2m toteplacepot First Foot
Juvenile hurdle (Class 3)
The current crop of northern juvenile
hurdlers hasn’t set the world alight, a fact spotted by Charlie Mann who sent
an interesting newcomer up from Lambourn to bag a decent prize.
Having recorded a fair record in middling
staying events in France for Jonathan Pease, SUPERB STORY was bought for €80,000.
Looking plenty fit enough on hurdling debut, he travelled comfortably
throughout here, leading three out and clear by the time he reached the last
flight. Given that second and fourth have handicaps marks which they seemed to
run to, then the winner would be worth at least mid-120s and probably a fair
bit more to come given the experience.
EL BEAU ran a sound enough race
under a double penalty, sticking to his job once passed by the winner, and just
seemed to run into a very capable newcomer.
SILVER DUKE never got to the
leaders, but put in encouraging work in the closing stages and snatched third place
close home.
COOKING FAT is a robust sort who
will probably develop with time and, even at this stage, has the look of a
chaser.
The others were well beaten off,
ADRAKHAN never seriously getting into the race. He looks the part but his form
to date is no more than moderate and handicapping is likely to present best
opportunities.
1:00 2m 4f Happy New Year From
totepool Handicap Hurdle(94-119)
A competitive event contested
mainly by relatively lightly raced animals, with the least raced coming out
victorious. Top Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell wasted little time in notching
her first winner of the year, UISGE BEATHA leading two out and going clear in
impressive fashion. He will be up a grade after a handicap rise.
ALWAYS TIPSY continues to please
in defeat, keeping on without threatening the winner. There’s a similar race to
be found if he avoids anything seriously progressive.
GOLD CHAIN has been on the go for
a while now and is well exposed but ran her in just being pipped by the second.
She was held up and never near the winner, doing her best running in the latter
stages.
CENTRAL FLAME was a keen sort in
his early days and is generally held up. Cathy Walton kept this one a fair way
off the pace before allowing him to pick up down the far side. He kept on for a
never nearer fourth place, a stiffer track or another step up in trip would
seem likely to help.
ALL THE ACES raced prominently
but had nothing left once challenged two out. This was his best effort over
hurdles for some time.
MWANGAZA got into a decent
position three out, but belted that hurdle and his effort petered out soon
after.
WYFIELD ROSE doesn’t strike me as
totally committed to the game and proved to be a right madam on this occasion.
She dug her hoofs in and refused to take any part, though considerate enough to
signal this early enough to allow her backers a refund.
1:35 2m 4f totequadpot Scottish Premier
Handicap Chase (115-135)
Lucinda Russell grabbed a one-two
with REAPING THE REWARD swooping to mug his stablemate Quito Du Tresor right on
the line. His jumping has been a bit hit or miss of late, but he was given a
cracking quiet ride by talented conditional Craig Nichol, making a sustained
run from three out. For all that he is now 11 years old, Reaping the Reward has
few miles on the clock and might be capable of going forward from here.
QUITO DU TRESOR is more battle
hardened than his stablemate, but proved that he has returned to form with an
excellent effort in ground that would be softer than ideal for him. Going on
three out, he looked the likely winner until right on the line. He can pick up
a 0-120 or 0-125 event in the coming weeks if the ground doesn’t go against
him.
Completing an 11 year olds 1-2-3,
SHADRACK set the pace until three out, seeing out his race once passed. He is consistent
and in good heart.
TIPTOEAWAY has had a few problems
which have limited his racetrack appearances in recent times. While never far
away he always seemed just held from three out. This was his best effort since
a couple of two mile wins in the spring of 2012.
WORKBENCH had his chance but was held
from two out. His wins have come on good ground so the rain won’t have helped.
VIVA COLONIA was well touted
here, had every chance turning for home but faded from that point. Twice a
winner over this course and distance for connections who would presumably be
disappointed that this race didn’t signal a revival in fortunes.
WHY BUT WHY moved up to chase the
leaders on the home bend but that was as close as he got. This ground was too
soft and a drop down a grade would do no harm.
SWING HARD seemed to race a tad
freely in behind the leaders and weakened quickly from the twelfth fence.
WITNESS IN COURT fell at the second.
2:10 2m totepool Hogmaneigh
Handicap Hurdle
We should have seen the New Year
Sprint Final run before this but the starter for that event went AWOL. I
chatted to Sprint commentator Lee McKenzie after the event and he said that the
quick decision to run the handicap hurdle first caused some complications in
the commentary box, one pair of headphones being shared between Lee and horse
racing commentator Gareth Topham. A quick swap, more or less seamless to those
of use listening, and Gareth was able to take over.
The feature event, one of
Musselburgh best of the season, saw a competitive field take part. A Grade 1 Finale
Hurdle winner as a four-year-old, RUACANA is a decent enough performer in top
level handicap hurdles without previously landing one. Never far off the pace,
he came to lead two out and showed plenty of determination to hold off a
persistent challenge from the runner-up. A decent effort and the obvious next
target would be the Scottish County Hurdle here in early February.
STRONGPOINT generally performs
well here, having boasted a 3 out of 6 record at Musselburgh with wins from 3m
110yds down to this 2 mile contest last year. He settles nicely in front and
made this a searching test, showing typical tenacity when passed in the
straight and making the winner pull out the stops. I presume his trainer would
like to have a go at the Cheltenham County Hurdle, but don’t count him out in
the Scottish equivalent come February.
HAWK HIGH was well spoken of in
the preliminaries and was the class act here, coming off the back of not being
discredited when last of five behind The New One at Haydock in conditions that
would not have been ideal. He’s at his best on a sound surface and was held
from the last here, but he’s certainly worth bearing in mind why the ground
dries a bit.
MEADOWCROFT BOY was running for
only the sixth time and was not disgraced in fourth, though giving way from
before the last. He’s on a workable mark and Alistair Whillans should find an
opportunity.
THORPE found this much tougher
than the novice contest he won at Haydock, a race which does not rated as the strongest
Listed event. He had his chance but was good enough from three out, though I
wouldn’t be surprised if he can get competitive at this level with experience.
LIGHTENING ROD and FISHER, essentially
progressive going into this, were both out the back all the way and never got
into the contest. I would expect them to produce better in future.
I backed the winner here amongst
my three against the field, but it could have been so much better as I secured
23 the evening before the race on Betfair about the 15/2 SP second. So near yet
so far!
2:09 (and a few minutes) New Year
Sprint Final (Handicap) 110yds
Starter traced and ready, the sprint
final took place some time after the feature race. The handicapper once an excellent
job with very little to choose between the first four.
CAMERON TINDLE was impressive in
his Cross-tie (Semi-Final), winning with a fair bit to spare having been well
touted pre-event along with last year’s winner Dylan Ali, though the latter
didn’t make the final this time. However, the Edinburgh AC youngster was pushed
to the limit in the final, hitting the front a stride from the line to win the
£4,000 prize. He recorded a time of 11.21 for 100m last year and has time to
develop given that he is only sixteen years old. With the right encouragement he
may go some way to making up for the lack of Scottish sprinters in the
Commonwealth Games, a state that Sandy Sutherland lamented in the raceday
programme.
Ryan Houten lunged for the line
to get closest to the winner. He’s another 16-year-old, though favoured by the
handicap here and a bit behind Tindle in terms of official performances.
The girls are still awaiting their
first win though they filled third and fourth places with Jazmine Tomlinson, the
third, another youngster who is showing promise. The more experienced Stacey
Downie, impressive in her cross-tie, ran creditably in fourth place.
Although it was a tight contest
Lee McKenzie used his commentator’s eye to make a confident call that Cameron
Tindle had won, and to my eye Lee was spot on. The call called caused some
commotion amongst the officials who wanted to look at the photo, but Lee was
spot on as Tindle prevailed by 0.03 seconds (short head maybe?).
This event was a good chance for
an annual catch up with Lee who has been the commentator for the event in recent
times. Having given up regular racecourse commentating to work on the 2012 Olympic
Games and more recently the Sochi Winter Games, he now does a fair bit of raceday
presenting at various venues, principally Windsor, Goodwood and Fontwell, appearing
at various other locations including locally Hamilton Park. I understand from Lee
that among his commitments he has dates lined up at Musselburgh and Hamilton in
2015.
2:45 3m totepool Supporting
Scottish Racing Handicap Chase (87-110)
PURCELL’S BRIDGE is a consistent
sort and won this with a good deal to spare. He was always going well in touch with the
leaders and led three out, easing clear and winning with little fuss.
BERTIE MILAN performed better
than of late. Raced up with the pace, he was headed three out but plugged on to
take second. He is suited by a real stamina test and this was a creditable
effort.
WAKHAN has flattered on a number of
occasions, hinting that this sort of trip would suit, but he made no impression
from before four out.
JUST AWAKE disputed the lead
until giving way early in the straight, while DRUMLISTER was out the back most
of the way and could do no more than make a little progress before four out
without ever threatening.
OR DE GRUGY needed the urn and
was beaten five out.
RYTON RUNNER disappointed once again
and pulled up.
BLAZIN WHITE FACE broke a blood
vessel and the pattern of her form hints that this isn’t first time it has happened.
3:20 3m 110yds Collect totepool
Winnings at Betfred Shops Handicap Hurdle
FLY VINNIE looked a decent proposition
against exposed opponents on the basis of a promising handicap debut last time and
being upped in trip. He travels nicely in front, dictated the pace and then
motored clear from three out to record a performance which seemed to border on
140 class. Sandy Thomson will be looking to set his sights higher with this one
and don’t be surprised if a visit to Cheltenham or Aintree appears on the schedule.
The others had a private race for
second, HARTFORTH keeping on well enough having looked to be in trouble before
three out.
SOLWAY SAM is an out and out stayer
and plugged on into third.
RATTLIN for whom the conditions would
be no excuse gave way from three out, while CAPELLANUS and ARCTIC COURT were
beaten before the turn for home.
