With the Sky Bet Sunday Series beginning at the end of the month we're building up to the new initiative with a guide to the courses involved - starting with Musselburgh.
When is the Sky Bet Sunday Series?
- Musselburgh July 25 - 3.45-7.00 on ITV4 and Racing TV
- Haydock August 8 - 3.45-7.00 on ITV4 and Racing TV
- Sandown August 22 - 3.45-7.15 on ITV4 and Racing TV
- Click here for more details
Timeform's Musselburgh course guide
Right handed, sharp. The turns at the top end of the course are particularly sharp, so the adaptability to negotiate the bends is of paramount importance. Big, long-striding, cumbersome horses are at a disadvantage on the round track, especially at races at up to nine furlongs. On the straight course the fields typically race towards the stand rail. The course is one of best draining in the country, conditions rarely on the testing side.
Leading active jockeys at Musselburgh
Sorted by strike rate in the last five years (minimum 50 rides)
- Danny Tudhope 23.42% (26-111)
- Joe Fanning 19.14% (62-324)
- Sam James 17.86% (10-56)
- Paul Hanagan 17.7% (20-113)
- Kevin Stott 15.79% (18-114)
Other points to consider
- Danny Tudhope is also in a league of his own (among those with at least 50 rides at the course) when considering run-to-form percentage. An impressive 54.05% of his mounts have run to form - Connor Beasley is next best on 50.34%.
- Joe Fanning’s tally of 62 winners in the past five seasons is more than double that of his closest pursuers - Tudhope and Paul Mulrennan have had 26. He has had a remarkable 172 winners at Musselburgh during his career (Hanagan is next best on 112).
Leading active trainers at Musselburgh
Sorted by strike rate in the last five years (minimum 50 runners)
- Mark Johnston 20.09% (45-224)
- Kevin Ryan 18.81% (19-101)
- Richard Fahey 18.07% (45-249)
- Bryan Smart 15.79% (12-76)
- Mick Easterby 14.29% (8-56)
Other points to consider
- Archie Watson has won with 10 of his 22 representatives at a strike rate of 45.45%, so it is well worth noting when he sends one on the long journey from his Lambourn base. Richard Hannon is an even less frequent visitor but has a won with three of his five representatives (60% strike rate) in the past five seasons.
- Scottish trainer Keith Dalgleish has had the most winners at the course in the past five seasons with 64. He has also had the most runners (505) and his winners have come at a respectable strike rate of 12.67%.
- Richard Fahey’s runners have the highest level-stake profit in the past five seasons (£41.86). Kevin Ryan and Mark Johnston also show a profit.
Leading sires at Musselburgh
Sorted by strike rate in the last five years (minimum 30 runners)
- Casamento 29.41% (10-34)
- Invincible Spirit 22.73% (10-44)
- Harbour Watch 20% (6-30)
- Bahamian Bounty 19.35% (6-31)
- Mayson 18.18% (8-44)
Running style
Unsurprisingly, given its sharp nature, it is a significant advantage to race handily. On the round course – races at seven furlongs or further – front-runners have a strike rate of 22.88%. This compares well to the average across all British courses, which stands at near 18%. Those who race prominently, just behind the front rank, also fare well at Musselburgh, operating at a 17.21% strike rate, but those in mid-field have a strike rate of just 10.67%, while runners held up towards the rear or last of all have a poor strike rate of around only 5%.
Best performances
The evergreen Caspian Prince - a winner of Newcastle’s Gosforth Park Cup last week at the age of 12 - put up the best performance at Musselburgh in recent years when winning the 2018 Scottish Sprint Cup. He showed very smart form, earning a Timeform rating of 120 for his decisive two-and-three-quarter-length success. The best recent performance on the round course came courtesy of Austrian School, who was given a Timeform rating of 117 after bolting up in the 2019 Queen's Cup by six lengths.
Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy says:
"Now we’re in July we’re building up to a new initiative, with the Sky Bet Sunday Series taking place across three Sundays at the end of July and into August.
"I think we learnt last year that Sunday racing can be a big hit in this country and it should attract a different audience both at the tracks and on the TV.
"With attractive prize money and bonuses – I’ve got half an eye on that £100,000 being dangled for any jockey that rides seven winners across the three meetings – there’s plenty to like!
"And I love the idea of showcasing different aspects of the sport amongst the coverage, particularly the pony racing which is such a good breeding ground for young jockeys these days."
