Andrew Asquith has looked through Musselburgh's Sky Bet Sunday Series card and has two selections.
Sunday View: Sunday April 26
1pt win Talini in the 15:45 Musselburgh at 9/1 (William Hill, 8/1 General)
1pt win Talismans Time in the 18:15 Musselburgh at 4/1 (General)
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The Sky Bet Sunday Series rolls on to Musselburgh this weekend with another host of competitive handicaps. The opening Sky Bet Proud To Support Young Lives Vs Cancer Apprentice Handicap has attracted a healthy field, but the interesting one for me is TILANI at the bottom of the weights.
He had an in and out record when trained in Ireland, but he did manage to win a handicap over an extended mile at the Galway Festival for Dermot Weld last summer and he had bits and pieces of form in big-field handicaps, too.
Tilani also caught the eye to some extent on his debut for Ian Williams at Wolverhampton in a steadily-run handicap over seven furlongs. That trip was probably on the short side for him, especially in a race which wasn’t run at a true pace, but it was encouraging that he was relatively strong in the market beforehand.
He travelled well throughout, too, but he was badly positioned at the rear of the field given the way the race panned out, those who raced in the first half of the field favoured, and Tilani found it hard to get on terms in the straight.
There was running left in him at the line, however, and the feeling is that Ian Williams has inherited a well-handicapped horse. The return to a mile will be in his favour, particularly in a race which has a few pace angles, and a capable claimer now takes off 3lb.
On the pick of his Irish form, he looks well treated, and appeals as just the type this shrewd yard does well with.
The Sky Bet Build A Bet Handicap has an interesting outlook with the progressive Alther Walden taking a big chunk of the market. Indeed, he looks progressive, having won his last two starts in good style, and he promises to be well suited by this step up to two miles.
However, the Ed Bethell-trained TALISMANS TIME had a similar profile last season before blowing out in the Melrose at York. He shaped as if something was amiss that day, though, quickly falling back through the field in the straight and eased off.
That clearly wasn’t his true running, and he looked progressive up to 13 furlongs prior to that. Talismans Time showed the benefit of a step up in trip when opening his account over 11 furlongs at Hamilton on his return last year, showing much improved form on his first start since being gelded and pulling well clear of the remainder with a next-time-out winner.
The handicapper underestimated that performance somewhat as he proved an opening mark of 80 a lenient one when following up over a two-furlong longer trip at the same track. He started the odds-on favourite and he was hard pushed to stretch two and a quarter lengths clear of some more exposed types, asserting gradually with his jockey not going for everything.
For all things didn’t go to plan in the Melrose after, he was keeping much more exalted company, and he wasn’t unfancied at 14/1. In a recent stable tour Ed Bethell stated that Talismans Time had done well during the off season and is ready to start here.
On pedigree, you wouldn’t be confident he’d stay two miles, but on run style I think he will, especially round Musselburgh on quick ground which will likely test speed more than stamina at the trip. This unexposed four-year-old goes well when fresh and I’m sure he’ll be rated quite a bit higher than a mark of 85 come the end of the season.
Preview posted at 15.30 BST on 25/04/2026
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