SUNDAY WEEKENDER

15:05 Musselburgh All three of today’s selections come from outside of England with the first up in Scotland at Musselburgh. The third race on the card sees nine runners set to lineup for a five furlong handicap where four of them are previous course and distance winners, one of which is the current market leader Vimy Ridge. The Alan Bailey trained four year old is burdened with top weight but the gelding finds himself back in class five company for the first time in four outings. A very encouraging fifth of twenty one at Ayr last time out reads like very good form but the fact the horse hasn’t won on turf since July 2014 (35 starts back) doesn’t fill me with a great deal of confidence and at 7/2 is avoided today. Royal Brave has put in a tonne of consecutive performances without finding itself in the winners enclosure, the proverbial bridesmaid tag seems like a hard one to shake and the likelihood is it’ll find another too good. The horse I’m siding with returns to the scene of it’s previous turf success off a lower handicap mark after finishing third of nineteen in a very competitive handicap at Ayr. Trainer Paul Midgley has bagged a few winners lately and I’m hoping One Boy can get back to winning ways in a less competitive race. One Boy (E/W if 9/2+)

15:25 Curragh We break up our two selection’s in Scotland to take in a trip to Ireland to focus on a Group 2 two year old race. It may seem an obvious choice but with Ballydoyle saddling four of the seven expected runners I’m trusting Ryan Moore’s decision and going for the favourite Capri. A horse that finds itself close to the head of the betting for next years Epsom Derby and looks to have a tonne of potential. Capri’s price perhaps doesn’t look like great value but probably represents its chances. Exemplar looks Aidan O’Brien’s second string but still has a good chance however basing things off jockey bookings it looks as if the best it can hope for is to finish behind its stable mate. The best horse away from Ballydoyle’s contingent looks to be Dermot Weld’s Firey Speech who finished second at Leopardstown last time out but in all honesty that form doesn’t loo up to scratch to compete with the favourite. Capri (WIN)

16:45 Musselburgh A return to Musselburgh but unlike our first selection today we end with a long distance handicap. Jonny Delta is currently priced at 12/1 and that looks mightily generous for a previous course and distance winner who now sits at a handicap mark nineteen pounds lower than when he last claimed victory. The same can be said of Jammy Moment who is also a former course and distance victor. Both look to have chances better than their odds suggest but I feel they’re likely to come behind a few of these today. The current favourite Asian Wing looks to go close however recent form has left a lot to be desired. The seven year old won in August last year but still remains at a higher weight than it was that day so a lot has to be taken on trust that Daniel Tudhope’s mount will grab the win today. The horse that gets the nod is Noel Wilson’s four year old Ghostly Arc who has won here at Musselburgh previously. The horse runs over a trip that’s five furlongs higher than its previous success but did well over fourteen furlongs last time out. I’m hoping the gelding can go close today and at least pick up place money. Ghostly Arc (E/W if 9/2+)