19:20 Musselburgh

Friday 3 August 2018

All17:4018:1018:4519:2019:5020:2020:50

Bernard Hunter Mobile Cranes Handicap

Off time: 19:20 | Winning time: 59.74s

(2)

Desert Law⁶²

Age: 10| Weight: 10-2| J: P Makin| T: P T Midgley| OR: 92| CD

5/1

Slips back below his last winning mark having taken his time to find top gear this year and not seen since running in the Epsom Dash in early June. Suffered from a poor draw that day but had run well in the race before; C&D winner who drops in grade.

Form: 66-8609

(7)

Lomu¹⁴

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: Jason Hart| T: K Dalgleish| OR: 91| CD

7/4

Had been threatening a full-blown revival and that duly arrived with a career-best performance over 6f at Hamilton (routed the field by 6L; made all). Up 9lb for that win he now has to overcome a career-high mark returned to 5f (has won over C&D).

Form: 9-00241

(3)

Dapper Man⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 9-10| J: Ben Sanderson⁽⁵⁾| T: R Fell & S Murray| OR: 86| D

7/1

Like his stable has been in rude health this summer already winning five times (all over this trip) although the handicapper appears to have caught up with him now. Proved one-paced off this mark last time and this maybe a bridge too far.

Form: 121125

(6)

Royal Brave²²

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: Connor Beasley| T: Rebecca Bastiman| OR: 83| CD

4/1

Loves this C&D having won four times here, the latest of those victories having come in May off a 1lb lower mark. Has run respectably since without having his ideal conditions and very rarely runs a bad race at this venue; nicely drawn.

Form: 510334

(4)

Excessable⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 9-2| J: Rachel Richardson| T: T D Easterby| OR: 78| BF| D

4/1

Yet to win this year but has worked his way down to a mark where he's of interest and threatening to come good. Travelled well last time off a strong pace only to be collared by one coming from way back with two of today's rivals behind; player here.

Form: 000472

(5)

Economic Crisis⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 8-13| J: Connor Murtagh⁽⁵⁾| T: A Berry| OR: 75| CD

12/1

Another runner who has had multiple C&D success although none of those wins have come at this level. Running consistently well since her last win at Ayr in June although she's never won from a mark this high and may just be in the handicappers grip.

Form: 415432

Non-Runners

(1)

Longroom⁹

Weight: 9-6| Age: 6

T: N Wilson J: Phil Dennis

Forecasts

Lomu (7/4), Excessable (4/1), Royal Brave (4/1), Desert Law (5/1), Dapper Man (7/1), Economic Crisis (12/1), Longroom (12/1)

A good quality sprint with five of the seven runners having already won over C&D but it’s one of the two runners who hasn’t won here that is the suggestion to open his account over this 5f in the shape of EXCESSABLE. He’s been threatening to come good of late and favourably handicapped here and with the beating of two of today’s rivals he looks set to open his account for the year. Lomu certainly came right back to form last time and although he’s well drawn in this small field to repeat those front-running tactics he does have to do so over 5f and off a 9lb higher mark. Royal Brave can always be relied on to run his race here but may just come up short.