Superb Story clung on for victory in the £40,000 Totepool Hogmaneigh Hurdle, the feature race at Musselburgh on New Year’s Day in front of a packed crowd at the East Lothian racecourse.
Trained by Dan Skelton and ridden by brother Harry Skelton, Superb Story justified its status as 11/8 favourite as it held off the challenge of second placed My Manekineko.
With another huge attendance, there was a tremendous atmosphere as there usually is at Musselburgh.
Project Bluebook (6/1) won the first race, the Totepool First Foot Juvenile Hurdle at 12.30 with the Edinburgh Reporter’s tip – Castafiore – threatening until it fell at the final fence.
Rolling Thunder (5/1) won the next race, the Totequadpot Novices Handicap Chase at 1.05, just pipping St John’s Point, to record jockey Will Kennedy’s second win of the afternoon.
Cold March (6/1), owned by Andrew Brookes, captured the Auld Reekie Handicap Chase at 1.40 with the much-fancied Pain Au Chocolat pulled up four fences from home.
Irish horse Clondaw Kaempfer (13/2) took the Totepoolliveinfo.com Handicap Hurdle at 2.15 with a disappointing showing by the favourite – and Edinburgh Reporter tip – Big River who struggled to keep pace with the leaders and finished in fifth place. The winning horse was ridden by – you guessed it – Will Kennedy.
Superb Story’s victory in the Hogamneigh Hurdle at 2.40 was followed by the conclusion of a fine afternoon’s racing when Dominada (7/2) won the Collect Totepool Winnings at Betfred Shops Handicap Hurdle at 3.25 – the Edinburgh Reporter saving its best (and only winning) tip for last.
Of course, it wasn’t all about the horses at Musselburgh – humans tested their racing prowess too! The world famous New Year’s Day Sprint – the oldest sprint race in the world – was won by Craig Kelly from East Kilbride.
It was a hugely entertaining way to start the New Year and racegoers can experience the delights of racing at Musselburgh again this Tuesday with another six-race card. Racing starts at 1.00pm – tickets are available here.
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
