Musselburgh season draws to a close

The curtain comes down on Musselburgh’s 2010-11 jumps programme today and competition for the Isle Of Skye sponsored end of season awards could hardly be tighter.

Brian Hughes leads the jockeys title race with five winners, one clear of Graham Lee and Dougie Costello with Peter Buchanan just a further point adrift.

Howard Johnson and Lucinda Russell head the trainers’ list with four winners apiece and Kinross based Russell could have the edge this afternoon with at least three fancied runners on the six-race card.

Russell’s consistent Blenheim Brook will be hard to beat in the opening novice’s hurdle (1.50). Kai Broon looks handily weighted in the Nairn’s Oatcakes Juvenile Handicap hurdle (3.20) and Quinder Spring will be a big player in the novice’s handicap chase (4.20).

Feature race is the £10,000 Weatherby’s Wealth Planning Hurdle at 3.50. This competitive handicap could develop into a match between the lightly weighted duo of Kaolak and Dontpaytheferryman.

Kaolak, trained by Keith Reveley and ridden by his son James, was narrowly beaten by the Irish raider Silverlord on his recent visit to Musselburgh while Dontpaytheferryman has been a model of consistency both on the all-weather and over hurdles since before Christmas. Brian Ellison has booked the smart conditional Paul Gallagher to take the mount and his 7lbs allowance swings the balance in favour of Dontpaytheferryman.

Quinder Spring and Locked Inthepocket dominate the £6,000 NSPCC School Services Novices Chase (4.20). The former, five times a winner in point to points last spring, has made a successful transition to racing under rules while the promising Locked Inthepocket, trained by the inform Pauline Robson, ran out a wide margin winner at Ayr last Saturday and is strongly fancied to follow up.

Gates open at 11.45am and first race is off at 1.50pm. For more information visit the website