Placepot Pointers – Musselburgh, Saturday, April 19th
Saturday’s £100,000 Tote Placepot guarantee comes from Musselburgh where we have five tricky handicaps and a small-field maiden to tackle…
1.50
The action gets underway with the 1m Royal Mile Handicap, won last year by Ice Max who went on to land the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood. If there’s a future pattern-race winner in today’s line-up then it could be WILTSHIRE LAD, a likely improver now with bang-in-form Andrew Balding after the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute. The three-year-old has been gelded ahead of his seasonal/stable debut and we’ve already seen ex-Stoute inmates Jonquil (8-1) and More Thunder (10-1) win for new trainers this month. THUNDER WONDER is a big price but Charlie Johnston’s colt was the only one of the first five home to race prominently when a 14-1 third at Southwell last time and his only other run on a turning track saw him win at Thirsk.
2 Thunder Wonder
5 Wiltshire Lad
2.25
With likely favourite WALEEFY stuck out wide in stall 10 of 10 it could pay to look elsewhere in this 7f handicap. GWEEDORE (stall 3) ran second over course and distance last time when the first three home were drawn 3, 2 and 1 of eight and has fared well on the draw front again. ALZAHIR (stall 4) is two from two since returning from a wind operation and could have more to offer.
1 Alzahir
3 Gweedore
3.00
AMERICAN AFFAIR could only finish 16th of 25 when starting as the 11-4 favourite for the Ayr Gold Cup on his most recent outing but he was drawn on the wrong side of the track and actually did third best of those berthed in single figures. One of the two low-drawn horses to finish in front of him, Strike Red, won next time out and Jim Goldie’s five-year-old is nicely drawn in stall 9 of 9. JER BATT has been off the track since October’s narrow Doncaster second but has a good record when fresh and bolted up on his only previous course outing.
3 American Affair
6 Jer Batt
3.35
WILD WAVES did really well to run fourth of 16 in the Melrose at York, as he was ridden patiently and challenged wide when low-drawn prominent racers were strongly favoured. He finished a respectable 40-1 sixth in the St Leger on his only subsequent outing and gelding could bring even more improvement this year. Banker.
5 WILD WAVES
4.10
Andrew Balding’s 18-1 shot WISE COUNSELLOR found only stablemate Our ‘Enery, the 8-11 favourite, too good at Wolverhampton last month and should go well on his turf debut. His yard remains in fantastic form. Pace angle CASPI STAR took a step forward when second at Southwell on last month’s comeback and is next best.
3 Wise Counsellor
5 Caspi Star
4.45
EPIDAVROS has finished in the first three in five of her six turf starts for Katie Scott, with the exception coming first time out last term when poorly drawn at Redcar. She’s had a run this time around, finishing a respectable 66-1 fifth if 12 at Southwell, and the step back up to 1m1f will suit. Banker.
6 Epidavros
