14:00 Musselburgh

Wednesday 3 January 2018

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:30

All New racinguk.com Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 3m 53.10s

Lord Fendale^h²⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 12-3| J: Miss Jodie Hughes⁽⁷⁾| T: Tim Vaughan| OR: 107| D

9/1

Tipperary maiden hurdle winner (2m, good) in 2016 and showed first real signs of a revival since joining this yard at Taunton last month. 2lb won't harm, though will still need to step up on that effort to have a say.

Form: 12-90U4

Sleep In First^p³⁶

Age: 12| Weight: 11-12| J: Steven Fox⁽⁵⁾| T: J Ewart| OR: 102| D

8/1

Prolific winner over fences/hurdles, all at around this trip. Handles any ground and made an encouraging return after 15-months off when 5L second at Sedgefield in November. Up 2lb, but 5lb claimer more than negates that. Short-listed.

Form: 513P4-2

Magistral^p¹²

Age: 8| Weight: 11-11| J: Dale Irving⁽³⁾| T: Miss L A Perratt| OR: 101

33/1

You have to go back to July 2013 to find the only win on his CV, in a Windsor maiden (1m) for John Gosden. Yet to trouble the judge in three hurdles starts. Now makes handicap debut and looks up against it, but precautionary market check suggested.

Form: 0/6-8

Lady Clitico^h¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-9| J: Tony Kelly| T: R Menzies| OR: 99| D

20/1

Stamina-laden mare who scored over 2m on the Flat at Catterick in May. In grip of handicapper since in that code and reverts to hurdles from a mark that ought to give her a squeak, though record suggests she may find one or two too good.

Form: 2F84/38-

Nice Vintage^h1²⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-7| J: Thomas Willmott⁽⁷⁾| T: K Scott| OR: 97

80/1

Handles soft ground on the Flat when she has won three times at 1m2f. Not as good over hurdles, however, (0-8) and is impossible to recommend on recent evidence in either code.

Form: 538/P-P0

Great Colaci²⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 11-5| J: Colm McCormack⁽³⁾| T: G Boanas| OR: 95| C

40/1

All three Flat wins have been at 7f (inc. here in May on good to firm), which gives rise to stamina doubts over this far. 0-4 over hurdles where he is yet to make the frame and although 7lb drop will help, he needs to jump better than last time.

Form: 688F

Mitcd¹⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-2| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 92| CD

14/1

Won both here (2m½f, good) and at Sedgefield (2m4f, good) last season, the latter from 8lb lower than today. Up 2lb for his latest hurdles effort back at Sedgefield in November, but good AW run since and not ruled out.

Form: 541F-83

Nendrum^t¹⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Jamie Hamilton⁽³⁾| T: A M Thomson| OR: 92

11/4

Has slipped 10lb in the handicap in three runs since joining this trainer and put up his best handicap effort here over C&D last time. Won't mind these conditions, but does need to find some improvement to be breaking his duck.

Form: 026/073

King Of Aragon^p1,t³⁴⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: Ross Chapman⁽⁵⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 92

13/2

Sole win was in a Tipperary maiden (1m4½f, good to firm) for Aidan O'Brien in 2015. Shown little encouragement for almost two years on Flat or over hurdles. Dropped 6lb here/headgear added for stable debut and precautionary market check prudent.

Form: 4/59P09-

Rhythm Of Sound^t,v³⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 10-5| J: Alain Cawley| T: Micky Hammond| OR: 81| D

8/1

0-8 over hurdles, but comes here in form after back-to-back chase wins at Leicester and Sedgefield in November. Up 8lb for latest of those and despite good recent form of stable, his CV suggests that this will be a tough enough test.

Form: 425F11

Hey Bob^t⁴³

Age: 6| Weight: 10-3| J: Callum Bewley⁽³⁾| T: C Grant| OR: 79| D

7/1

Came good at the 36th attempt at Southwell (1m7½f, good) when last seen in November. Up 6lb for that and in better company, so will need improvement to follow up and not sure how much of that is within.

Form: 544501

Toarmandowithlove^t¹⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-2| J: James Corbett⁽⁵⁾| T: S Corbett| OR: 78

11/2

0-24 over hurdles. Made late gains when no chance of winning at Catterick last month. Drops 2lb going into this and feather weight to carry, so on ground that she acts on, you couldn't rule her out of the frame.

Form: 73-2454

Forecasts

Nendrum (11/4), Toarmandowithlove (11/2), King Of Aragon (13/2), Hey Bob (7/1), Sleep In First (8/1), Rhythm Of Sound (8/1), Lord Fendale (9/1), Mitcd (14/1), Lady Clitico (20/1), Magistral (33/1), Great Colaci (40/1), Nice Vintage (80/1)

A tricky enough contest for punters where the suggestion is the veteran SLEEP IN FIRST. James Ewart's gelding goes on any ground, has always been a specialist at this trip and showed that he retains enough ability to win a race like this on his reappearance after a lengthy absence. Lady Clitico has frame claims, while Mitcd is not ruled out. Iain Jardine trained the winner of this race two years ago and King Of Aragon should be checked out in the market on his debut for the trainer, while Nendrum is another who could be on the brink of better. Rhythm Of Sound is in form, though is taken on given previous efforts from this sort of mark and the same applies to Hey Bob.