Our form expert has two selections for the Sky Bet Sunday Series card at Musselburgh on Sunday.
The Verdict: Sunday April 12
1pt win Impartiality in the 17.15 Musselburgh at 14/1 (General)
1pt win Ludo’s Landing in the 17.45 Musselburgh at 7/1 (General)
Landing the odds for Johnston
The Grand National may be over but the racing roadshow rolls into Musselburgh for the latest Sky Bet Sunday Series card on Sunday while there are bonus races from Leopardstown with 11 live races broadcast on ITV4 in total.
All eyes will be on Pierre Bonnard in the Group 3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at 16.55 as Aidan O’Brien’s handsome son of Camelot bids to get his Betfred Derby bid rolling in the 10-furlong trial.
He’s the class act of the coverage and you would think he’ll be able to defy his Group 1 penalty and win with Ryan Moore taking the ride on the antepost Epsom favourite.
The best betting races are at Musselburgh with all seven races from the Sunday Series card live on ITV and Charlie Johnston’s LUDO’S LANDING looks worth backing in the Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap over the extended mile and a half at 17.45.
He took advantage of his sliding mark at Newcastle last time with the blinkers back on and he proved too good for a rating of 75 back over his best trip with Jason Hart on board.
Up just 3lb, Johnston has kept the 1m4f, Hart and blinkers axis together for this test which should suit as he returns to turf for the first time since last July.
His last two turf wins have come off handicap marks of 78 and 80, so he’s handicapped to have say, in form and hard fit from the all-weather, which is also a pretty good combination early on in the turf season.
Last time he took plenty of stoking along before he asserted his dominance in the finish, but he should get cover off a strong pace in this big field and that might not be a bad thing with a possible strong headwind blowing down the home straight.
The Verdict: Back LUDO’S LANDING in the 17.45 Musselburgh
Makin your mind up in the Holyrood
Finally, with the forecast wind in mind the Phillip Makin-trained IMPARTIALITY looks worth chancing in the Sky Bet For The Fans Holyrood Handicap over nine furlongs.
He’s a hold-up horse who will get cover and he’s proven coming from off the pace to win at speed tracks like Chester, so he’s well capable of pulling off a Musselburgh heist.
Super efforts at Goodwood and Ayr in the second half of last season suggests his current mark is not beyond him and he started last season with a bang, rattling off three wins in his first three races of the campaign.
He was much lower in the weights 12 months ago, but we know he goes well fresh and the likely strong pace looks set to suit him here, so he’s worth a go at 14/1.
The Verdict: Back IMPARTIALITY in the 17.15 Musselburgh
Preview posted at 15:30 BST on 11/04/26
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