Racing Chat - Saturday 30th March

[The Brigadier]

Musselburgh 1.50

A six runner three year old class 3 handicap kicks things off today for the ITV team with seven races to be shown split between Musselburgh and Haydock. The Johnston stable have won four of the last five renewals of this race and look to have solid claims of improving on that record with their Too Darn Hot colt Individualism. He showed form in all four starts as a juvenile and ended up with a creditable fifth of 13 in a Newmarket novice stakes that has already worked out well with the winner and third both winning since. That run came on heavy ground so today’s terrain should hold no fears for him and with Joe Fanning in the saddle can open his account at the fourth time of asking.

 

INDIVIDUALISM 2 points win @ 13/8 bet365

 

Haydock 2.05

A class 2 two mile handicap hurdle is the first from Haydock for the ITV cameras and features ten hurdlers. Top weight Brentford hope will love the conditions and should go very well although has been raised 5lb for his recent Newcastle win. Better value at the current odds may lie with the Dan Skelton trained Playful Saint who went down by just a neck to the re-opposing Milldam on his first run for a 366 day break at Stratford earlier this month. I confidently expect him to turn the tables on his old rival on 1lb better terms and with that run under his belt. Skelton still has his string in fine shape and is chasing Paul Nicholls in the trainers championship table. He can claw back £25,720 by taking this valuable contest.

 

PLAYFUL SAINT 1 point win @ 4/1 bet365

 

Musselburgh 2.25

Nine go to post for this class 2 7F handicap. Katie Scott sends her seven year old Gweedore, who’s had two racecourse gallops, back here to try and win the race for the third year running but is now 10lb higher and maybe susceptible to an improver like the Karl Burke trained Poet Master. Burke has his team well forward this season and his Sheikh Obaid owned four year old has won three of his four starts including a valuable handicap at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting on good to soft ground when last seen in September 2023. A 8lb rise puts him on the 100 mark and he can strike gain before moving into pattern company.

 

POET MASTER 1 point win @ 11/4 bet365

 

Haydock 2.40

A good sized field of thirteen line up for this 3M 58 yard class 2 handicap hurdle. The race has an open look about it with several holding chances although my eye is drawn to the Richard Phillips trained Picanha, a very lightly raced ten year old who’s won three of his 7 runs under rules (as well as an Irish point to point). There was plenty to like about his first run for 660 days at Newbury last month when fourth to Emitom (beaten 6 1/2L) with the winner and runner up, Kyntara both running with credit in the Pertemps Network Final at the Cheltenham festival to give the form a healthy look. Sure to have come forward for that run and with his trainer amongst the winners in the last fortnight he looks solid each way value.

 

PICANHA 1 point each way @ 12/1 bet365 1/5 1234

 

Musselburgh 3.00

Just eight have declared for this £45,000 guaranteed 5F Virgin Bet Scottish Sprint Cup Handicap. The one horse who stands out here is Karl Burke’s five year old Silkie Wilkie. He blew this race apart last year leading on the favoured near side rail and winning by 4 3/4L. He’s favourably drawn again in stall 7 near the rail and he can race today off of a mark 2lb lower than last year. His opponents looks rather exposed and the Middleham Park owned gelding will be hard to beat if in anyway near the same sort of form as last year. He will be ridden today by 7lb claiming apprentice Sam Feilden who has won on him before back in February 2023 at Kempton. He hopefully won’t have too much to do here other than point and go.

 

SILKY WILKIE 2 points win @ 5/2 William Hill

 

Haydock 3.15

The 2M 4F veterans handicap chase has attracted ten runners with the ten year old Champagne Mystery one of the front runners in the betting market and to my eyes the most likely winner. Trained by Tom George he’s a rare winner but he’s shown up well in his last two starts since rejoining George having had a spell with his son Noel in France. Fifth to Ga Law in a valuable Cheltenham handicap he then was a two length third to Golden Son at Kempton just 1 1/2L behind the subsequent dual winner Heltenham. A further drop of a pound by the handicapper is very welcome and in an open chase should be thereabouts under Jonathan Burke.

 

CHAMPAGNE MYSTERY 1 point win @ 7/2 bet365

 

Musselburgh 3.35

A maximum field of fourteen for the day’s feature race the 1M 6F Virgin Bet Queen’s Cup. The Johnston stable have won this valuable handicap twice in the last four years and obviously mean business this season with four to be saddled. The best of which may be bottom weight Yorkindness but the one to beat is the James Owen trained Sweet Fortune. He was a dual 1M 4F handicap winner on soft ground last season for Ralph Beckett and since joining rookie trainer Owen has been sent hurdling and won novice hurdles at Plumpton and Catterick in good style. He’ll be fit, loves the ground and should run a big race under 3lb claiming apprentice Aidan Keeley.

 

SWEET FANTASY 1 point each way @ 5/1 bet365 1/5th 1234

 

 

[black rabbit]

Picanha                                                            2 40 Hyd/              1/40th of a pt ew        12/1     - 3rd

Guns And Glory                                              1 50 May/              1/40th of a pt ew        33/1

Emiyn                   N/R

Pink Legand                                                    3 15 Hyd/               1/40th of a pt ew        16/1

Yes Indeed                                                      3 50 Hyd/               1/40th of a pt win        7/1

Ballygeary                                                       2 05 Hyd/               1/40th of a pt win       10/1

 

 

P/L    + 177.30 pts

Edited March 31 by black rabbit