ANYONE intent on doing a spot of Yuletide shopping as they wend their way home from Musselburgh this evening should perhaps think again.
The seven-race card doesn't look the easiest when viewed through a punter's eyes so it might be a safer option to get the prezzies bought en route to the track rather than on the return trip. A 'precautionary' early-morning inspection has been called
at the East Lothian venue, but officials seem confident all will be well for a meeting that sees trainer Howard and jockey Richard form a rarely seen alliance of the Johnsons.
All that's needed to complete the set, of course, is an Anthony and now that frozen Fakenham, where Mr McCoy should have been on duty, has been abandoned, who knows, we may yet see AP head north.
The champ was on board Willie Pep when he made a winning debut in a Taunton bumper at the beginning of the year and although Charlie Egerton's gelding couldn't quite match that effort at Ascot on his first start of this campaign, he still ran well enough to give him a real chance in the novices' hurdle. Berkshire-based Egerton could also be on the mark with Pukka who was a fair flat performer and on the strength of that, was sent off second favourite when he had his first spin over timber at Market Rasen in September.
While the five-year-old jumped well enough that day, he was a spent force going to the last but he should have learned from the experience and he may find this slightly shorter trip more to his liking.
The four runners the aforementioned Johnsons team up for all look to have chances with Magnificent Seven maybe the one with the best chance of them all in the finale while stablemate Adopted Hero could also do the business under Brian Hughes.
Irish raiders are fast becoming the rule rather than the exception at Musselburgh and Danny Barry's recent course winner Black Chalk returns from County Louth in search of further success. This time, he may find countryman Ballito standing in his way. The selection wouldn't win too many brownie points for consistency but on a going day, he'd have a squeak in the Winter Wonderland Chase so fingers crossed this is one such day.
At Ayr yesterday, all those Rangers fans who doubted whether Frannie Jeffers would ever score again were put in their place, well sort of, when Tell Henry carried the now Blackburn Rovers striker's colours to victory. Fearless Foursome completed a hat-trick for Nick Alexander, Rayson Nixon continued his good run when Kempski fought back well in the hands of Alan Dempsey, and Willie Young's Roadworthy finally broke his duck at the 35th attempt to take the last.
Dempsey's win on Kempski completed a 59-1 double for the jockey, who earlier scored on Chief Dan George.
A tumble in December 2004 left Dempsey in a sorry state with injuries to his teeth, nose, eye sockets and jaw, sidelining him for three months. But those torrid memories have been consigned to history and the rider took his tally to eight for the season with two well-ridden winners on the seven-race card.
Richard Hughes scored a spectacular 10,646-1 four-timer at a wintry Lingfield. The Irishman won aboard Super Frank (8-1), the equally generously priced Lethal (12-1), the Richard Hannon-trained Grande Caiman (12-1) and the Clive Brittain-trained Mina A Salem (6-1).
"My dad [Dessie Hughes] rang me this morning to ask what I thought about my rides, but I couldn't say that one would definitely win," said Hughes.
"It's been a fantastic day. My weight has never been better. I'm going back to Ireland for Christmas, but I'll ride the odd day on the all-weather."
Going for nap in a four-runner race may appear a real cop-out, but Kempton's nursery is a much tighter affair than its small field would indicate so Habalwatan should be sent off at a half- decent price.
The full article contains 701 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
