Musselburgh – Easter Saturday racing

Musselburgh Racecourse’s Flat season kicks off in style tomorrow  with the second running of the £100,000 totepool Queen’s Cup in a seven card meeting with £200,000 in prize money.

Last year’s Queen’s Cup winner Carbon Dating is trying to repeat his success over the one mile 6f contest and, now trained by Adrian McGuinness, he returns to defend his crown having spent the winter in the UAE.

The Peter Niven-trained Group 2 winner Clever Cookie carries top weight as he returns to the racecourse where he made a winning debut in a £3000 National Hunt flat race in 2012 before progressing to winning the Scottish County Hurdle in 2014.

Hurdlers Mirsaale and Sir Chauvelin, trained by Keith Dalgleish and Jim Goldie respectively, both carry the colours of Dundee businessman Jimmy Fyffe and Mirsaale has pedigree as a 2013 Derby runner. Graceland, trained in Newmarket by Michael Bell, goes well fresh as he has won twice and finished second on his seasonal reappearance in the last three years.

American Gigolo, trained by Harry Fry who is better known for his jumpers and ridden by former champion jockey Paul Hanagan, is an improving sort and has won his last three starts on the all-weather. Mark Johnston’s Time To Study landed the Edinburgh Cup over course and distance last summer and then wasn’t beaten far in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and could be in the reckoning.

In the £30,000 totescoop6 Borderless Sprint Trophy (2.25pm) the Bryan Smart trained Alpha Delphini had its last outing at Musselburgh in October when it won the

EBF Flying Scotsman Conditions Stakes, while trainer Paul Midgely will be hoping for a copycat success from Desert Law after it romped home in the same contest 12 months ago.

In the £30,000 totesport.com Royal Mile Handicap (3.00pm) front-running Ayutthaya, trained by Kevin Ryan, is nicely drawn in stall three for his style of running and impressed on his final start of 2017 at Chester. Scots-born Newmarket trainer Hugo Palmer has booked Josephine Gordon for progressive all-weather performer Breaking Records and the former champion apprentice has posted two wins from four rides at Musselburgh in recent years.

Musselburgh’s 16-fixture season runs until October with prize money in excess of £1.1 million and highlights including the ever popular Stobo Castle Ladies Day and the £100,000 Edinburgh Gin Scottish Sprint Cup meeting, on 2 and 9 June respectively.

In August two Friday meetings – Friday Night at the Races and The Archerfield Cup take centre stage and in September highlights include the Caledonian Cup Raceday and the Supporting Your Services Family Raceday.

Musselburgh Racecourse chief executive, Bill Farnsworth, said: “With four of our Easter Saturday races live on ITV4, a £100,000 feature race, two £30,000 supporting races and a £20,000 seven furlong handicap, we are setting the bar high for the rest of our Flat season.

“The track is in great condition, thanks to the excellent efforts of our dedicated ground staff, and we are looking forward to another successful summer season, anchored with the phenomenal success which is Stobo Castle Ladies Day and the Scottish Sprint Cup in June.”

Gates open on Saturday at 11.30am, first race is off at 1.50pm and the last race is at 5.20pm. For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.musselburgh-racecourse.co.uk