15:40 Musselburgh

Friday 5 January 2024

All12:1012:4513:2013:5514:3015:0515:40

tote.co.uk Back To Work Monday Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:42 | Winning time: 3m 55.67s

Will Knott⁸³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-9| J: Sam Coltherd| T: W Coltherd| D

10/3

£52,000 4-y-o. Malinas gelding. 85/40, won 8-runner bumper at Hexham (16.2f, heavy) on NH debut 83 days ago, pushed out. Sets the standard under a penalty.

Form: 4U2-1

Ebony Warrior^t⁵⁷

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: J J Burke| T: D Killahena & G McPherson

10/1

€32,000 3-y-o, Sholokhov gelding. Eighth of 13 in bumper at Newbury (16.3f, good to soft, 18/1) on NH debut 57 days ago, plugging on late. This race doesn't look as deep, so merits respect.

Form: 8

Flaubert^t1²³⁶

Age: 6| Weight: 11-2| J: B S Hughes| T: D McCain Jnr

7/4

£48,000 5-y-o, Flemensfirth gelding. Dam, useful 2½m-21f hurdle/chase winner, half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/useful chaser (stayed 2¾m) Schindler's Gold. Wears tongue strap. Successful on second of 2 starts in Irish points (May 14). Interesting debutant.

Form: P-1

Lieutenant Mayne³¹⁴

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Ben Harvey⁽³⁾| T: J C McConnell

3/1

€22,000 3-y-o, Soldier of Fortune gelding. Dam, fair 2½m hurdle/chase winner, half-sister to fairly useful hurdler/chaser (stayed 23f) Knockrobin. Third sole start in points (Feb 2023). Trainer's runners have to be respected here.

Form: 3-

Musical Masquerade³⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: M & D Easterby

100/1

El Kabeir gelding. 9/2, sixth of 7 in bumper at Sedgefield (16.8f, heavy) on NH debut 38 days ago. Not really bred to stay this far and he'll need to leave debut form behind.

Form: 6

Reforme

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: Alan Doyle⁽⁵⁾| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

11/2

Diamond Boy gelding. Half-brother to Czech chase winner by Sulamani. Worth market check.

Form:

Saratoga Steve

Age: 5| Weight: 11-2| J: S Mulqueen| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

20/1

€5,500 3-y-o, Dylan Thomas gelding. Closely related to a winner, and half-brother to 3 winners, including fairly useful hurdler/chaser Green Wizard. Cheap purchase but is in good hands.

Form:

Non-Runners

South Omo Zone²⁹⁸

Weight: 11-2| Age: 6

T: Anthony Charlton J: Non Runner

Forecasts

Flaubert (7/4), Lieutenant Mayne (3/1), Will Knott (10/3), Reforme (11/2), Ebony Warrior (10/1), South Omo Zone (16/1), Saratoga Steve (20/1), Musical Masquerade (100/1)

WILL KNOTT didn't have much in the way of opposition when making a winning start at Hexham in October but Stuart Coltherd's gelding sets a fair standard under a penalty. Rules-debutants Flaubert and Lieutenant Mayne are perhaps most interesting of the remainder, the former having won an Irish point.