Musselburgh Racecourse will hold a 7am inspection today Friday November 26th but expects to escape snow and frost affecting the rest of the east coast of Scotland.
General manager Bill Farnsworth said with overnight temperatures forecast to be -2°C, and rising during Friday to 4°C, that racing should go ahead.
The East Lothian track will hold a one minute silence before the first race in memory of Peter Monteith, whose tragic death on Sunday stunned the whole racing community.
The Rosewell trainer saddled some 400 winners in a career spanning 28 seasons and was one of the best loved figures on all five of Scotland’s racecourses.
The Weatherbys Printing Novices’ Handicap Chase at 1.15 could develop into a head to head duel between the Lucinda Russell trained Storm Prospect, an encouraging fifth on his latest outing at Kelso, and Guns and Butter from the Northumberland stable of the in-form Rose Dobbin. Guns And Butter, who has previous form at Musselburgh is narrowly preferred.
Pillar Of Hercules, partnered by Graham Lee, is taken to defy top weight in the Jeden’s Business Flooring Hurdle at 2.25. Ferdy Murphy’s progressive six year old can improve on his close second to Altan Khan in similar company at the last Musselburgh meeting.
The £10,000 St Andrews Day Chase, sponsored by Clarkson Hill Group plc, sees Howard Johnson’s Kosta Brava seeking compensation for his recent Kelso defeat by Ormus. Kosta Brava, who was denied by a short head at Kelso, had earlier run out the cosy winner of a novice chase at the border’s course and his trainer has a fine record with his chasers at Musselburgh.
First race is off at 12.10pm and gates open at 10.45am. For further information visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk
