15:30 Musselburgh

Monday 25 November 2019

All12:4513:2013:5514:2515:0015:30

Join Racing TV Handicap Hurdle

Off time: 15:32 | Winning time: 6m 21.85s

Little Saint^t1²⁹

Age: 4| Weight: 11-12| J: Aaron Anderson⁽⁷⁾| T: Sean Conway| OR: 100

33/1

Nine-race maiden; kept busy in Ireland last month with modest performances at Clonmel (2m4f), Cork and Wexford (3m); tongue-tie now applied, so needs a basic market check.

Form: 075P58

Petite Ganache^p¹⁵⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-11| J: B S Hughes| T: N G Richards| OR: 99

7/2

Returned from an unsuccessful foray over fences (often placed) when contesting the void race over C&D earlier this month; 6lb above his last winning hurdles mark (Newcastle, 2m6f).

Form: 152-325

Not The Chablis^p1³²

Age: 5| Weight: 11-8| J: Lucy Alexander| T: N W Alexander| OR: 96

7/1

Won a good ground Down Royal bumper for Edward Harty in June 2018 but essentially disappointing since joining Nick Alexander for £39,000; lost ground from halfway (pulled up) on seasonal reappearance at Carlisle (2m4f); cheekpieces now applied.

Form: 46349-P

Frame Rate^p²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-7| J: Bruce Lynn⁽⁷⁾| T: I Jardine| OR: 95| C

10/1

Came from a difficult position to break the maiden here in March (2m4f, good to soft); on the whole has under-performed since; stumbled and unseated rider at the fourth flight at Ayr (3m, soft) four weeks ago.

Form: 15-459U

Chanceanotherfive^b¹⁸⁸

Age: 7| Weight: 11-6| J: Sam Coltherd⁽³⁾| T: W Coltherd| OR: 94| D

10/3

Won a couple of bumpers for Keith Dalgleish in late 2017 (Perth and Newcastle) before losing his way over hurdles; runner-up, albeit was no match for Yeats Baby over C&D (good) in March; competes off the same mark today.

Form: P4323-6

Samtu^p⁷⁶

Age: 8| Weight: 11-3| J: Sean Quinlan| T: F P Murtagh| OR: 91| CD

11/1

Made all (jumped well) when making a winning chasing debut here (3m, good) in February; suffered a heavy fall next time and that appears to have shattered his confidence; 10lb lower than when third in this race 12 months ago.

Form: P-P954U

Grand Enterprise^p,t¹⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: H Hogarth| OR: 85| D

15/2

Struggles to win races (1-32 career) but has already finished runner-up on four occasions this year, including when beaten 3L by Tekiblue De L'Orme at Carlisle (2m4f, good to soft) on his penultimate start; lacks the resolution?

Form: 252U28

Outback Blue¹⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 10-1| J: Jonathon Bewley⁽³⁾| T: G Bewley| OR: 75

15/2

15-race hurdles maiden who is yet to prove his stamina reserves much beyond 2m; plugging on 28¾L fifth of ten to Wor Verge at Hexham (2m, heavy) 17 days ago; safer to look elsewhere.

Form: 474-695

Moon Rua¹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 10-0| J: Ross Chapman| T: Mrs S A Watt| OR: 69

15/2

Runner-up in a 3m maiden at Boulta (soft) last December, but his form figures under rules make for dismal viewing; pulled up on his last three starts and sits outside of the handicap proper; no chance barring a miracle.

Form: 260PP-P

Painters Lad^h1¹⁹³

Age: 8| Weight: 10-0| J: S Mulqueen⁽³⁾| T: Mrs A C Hamilton| OR: 68

25/1

10-race maiden who competes from outside of the handicap proper in a newly applied hood; absent since finishing fourth of eight (beaten 19¾L) to Lough Kent at Perth (2m4f, good) in May; makes no appeal whatsoever.

Form: PP589-4

Non-Runners

Viking Hoard⁵⁰

Weight: 11-12| Age: 5

T: R A Curran J: Danny McMenamin

Specialist¹⁹

Weight: 11-0| Age: 5

T: W Young Jnr J: Thomas Willmott

Forecasts

Chanceanotherfive (10/3), Petite Ganache (7/2), Not The Chablis (7/1), Grand Enterprise (15/2), Outback Blue (15/2), Moon Rua (15/2), Frame Rate (10/1), Samtu (11/1), Viking Hoard (14/1), Specialist (16/1), Painters Lad (25/1), Little Saint (33/1)

A desperately weak finale, and if this is the getting out stakes then difficult times lie ahead. We'll seek a potentially well-handicapped horse in the hope (rather than necessarily the expectation) of a return to form. The Irish raider Viking Hoard is interesting in this respect on the basis of his win at Killarney (for Charles Byrnes) in the summer of 2018, and he should be followed if the market speaks authoritatively with the capable 5lb claimer Danny McMenamin aboard. However, the course winner (over fences) SAMTU gets the tentative nod. Third to Diggin' Deep in this contest 12 months ago, he's now rated 10lb lower for the Cumbrian-based handler Barry Murtagh.