Musselburgh is the home of British racing on Sunday, with racing live from the Scottish venue on ITV. Matty Sutcliffe has three tips at double-figure prices among four in all at the track.
1:55 Musselburgh – bet365 Frodon Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5yo+) – Autumn Return 11/1 1pt EW
Asta La Pasta is feared the most toward the head of the market but there is a slight doubt regarding this attitude in a finish, and that cant be attributed to AUTUMN RETURN who is 7/17 under rules and has made a bright start to her chasing career. The Fame And Glory mare is 2/4 over fences, and has plausible excuses for her two poor efforts given she sustained a wound to her right fore at Uttoxeter and she never travelled at Cheltenham having jumped the first two fences poorly.
Prior to that she was a comfortable winner at Newcastle in a match race, but she was much more impressive at Perth in a similar event, pulling 3/4L clear of the 5/4f Dripsy Moon who was progressing well prior (form figures of 2211). The third, Cadell, has come out and franked the form well since having bolted up 15L next time out and wasn’t disgraced in the G2 Esher Novices Chase last time out, and was rated 123lbs higher going into that contest than he was when six lengths behind Autumn Return.
Autumn Return has a tendency to jump right and going this way around appears to bring out the best in her, with her record this way reading 1111281, with the only outlier coming when finishing lame here last season. She’s a C&D winner over hurdles, and the return of Brian Hughes bodes well for her as he’s 1112123851 when riding her, with again excuses for the two outliers.
2:25 Musselburgh – bet365 Edinburgh National Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-150) – Inis Oirr 10/1 1pt WIN + Cadell 6/1 WIN
The five pounds claimed by Alan Doyle means INIS OIRR is effectively back on his last winning mark of 119, which came when winning this in an absolute procession last season by twenty one lengths. He’s only had five starts since and outside out falling in the Scottish National and pulling up in the Berkshire National, he’s not bee entirely disgraced in his three others starts, latterly when losing his position early on off top weight in the Lincolnshire National. He posted an RPR of 121 there, which was 3lbs higher than the RPR of 118 he posted when fifth in the race last season enroute to success here and given that came in a first time visor, perhaps the first time blinkers will spark further improvement once more.
His course form reads 121, and this looks to have been the plan all season.
If Inis Oirr can’t quite replicate last year’s success, then perhaps Lucinda’s other ace in the pack CADELL will prove the underdog. He bodes a similar profile to his stablemate given he’s an unexposed 7yo chaser yet to be proven over this trip, but given he’s by Mahler out of a King’s Theatre mare, he’s certainly bred for stamina to be his forte.
He was second in the Scottish Stayers’ Novices’ Hurdle last here last season, rallying strongly at the finish, and given his stablemate Inis Oirr won that contest as a novice hurdler, he looks to have been primed to follow in his stalemates footpath.
He looked in need of a stamina laden trip when staying on strongly to be beaten 3/4L by Kerryhill at Kelso in 2023 giving him 7lbs, with that one franking the form by bolting up in the G2 River Don next time out, which suggests this mark of 132 is more than workable for Cadell.
Russell has won this with two novice chasers, and if Cadell is to be the yards main hope, then I’m happy to play the pair, and a reverse forecast wouldn’t go amiss.
3:00 Musselburgh – Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-145) – Top Man Tom 10/1 1pt WIN
Several of these may be minding their marks for the Pertemps Final, and winning today won’t necessarily be the main aim, but I don’t think that applies to TOP MAN TOM who off a mark of 115, wouldn’t have to worry about a Cheltenham Festival entry unless he was to go up 10lbs here. The son of Ask has form figures of 211 with the visor equipped, and has taken his form to a new level since being prominently ridden over three miles (2-2) with both wins coming over C&D. The latest race came in the same contest that Brandy McQueen won in 2023 en-route to winning this race later on in the season, and while he’d have something to prove on form to beat the majority of these if they were all ‘trying’, the nature of the race suggests he may have a freebie up front and the rest will be happy to follow him home for the places in their bid to qualify for the Pertemps Final.
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