JUMPS SEASON 2018-19 – MR ED’S MUSSELBURGH MARVELS

DEAR SIRE (6yo, Donald McCain)

DEAR SIRE’s biggest success to date came in the bet365 Scottish County Hurdle at our Scottish Cheltenham Trials Weekend in February.

His other Musselburgh victory, in March 2017, was no less dramatic – after a bad blunder at the final hurdle, his rider Will Kennedy performed heroics to stay on board in a feat of horsemanship which was widely acclaimed as one of the rides of the season.

Dear Sire has already won over fences at Cartmel and Sedgefield this season; and he was in the process of running a fine race at Cheltenham recently only to fall at the second-last fence.

Trainer Donald McCain has earmarked some of our more valuable novice chases as potential options for Dear Sire, with a return to Scottish Cheltenham Trials Weekend on February 2-3 a likely target.

*****

HEARTASIA (5yo, Susan Corbett)

NORTHUMBERLAND trainer Susan Corbett sent out Morning With Ivan to win at Musselburgh last season and this mare looks capable of following in her stable-mate’s hoofprints.

A dual bumper winner on good ground, Heartasia showed plenty of promise on her first two hurdles starts here – finishing third each time – before a runner-up effort on handicap debut at Newcastle.

Sill lightly-raced, she’s undergone a summer wind operation and further improvement is expected, especially if learning to relax better in her races.

Corbett won’t be short of options for Heartasia, starting with an intended outing here at our jumps season curtain-raiser on November 7.

*****

ISLAND HEIGHTS (9yo, Lucinda Russell)

OWNER Gerry McGladery’s vibrant blue-and-yellow silks are likely to be a familiar sight here this winter and this previous Musselburgh winner could reward him with some nice prize-money returns.

It’s been a while since Island Heights was last in the winners’ enclosure here – more than two-and-a-half years, in fact – and nearly two years since he got his head in front in any race.

However still only nine, he’s dropped to a tempting handicap mark, is versatile in terms of ground and his trainer Lucinda Russell sends out more than her fair share of winners here.

*****

LADY LONDON (7yo, Rose Dobbin)

TRAINER Rose Dobbin reckons Lady London works like a better horse on her gallops than she’s showing on the track – so the trick will be to find the key to translating her talents into a race.

Musselburgh seems as good a place as any for that to happen. Lady London won a handicap hurdle over 3m here last November and has run creditably on all three previous visits to East Lothian.

Sent chasing this season, the Dobbin camp will no doubt be eyeing up a number of suitable races for Lady London, including one at our December 3 fixture.

*****

MR GRUMPY (5yo, Lucinda Russell)

IT'S fair to say that injury has hampered his hurdles career so far.

However, he returned from a long lay-off with an eye-catching third to two progressive types at Perth in September.

Ideally suited by good ground and a right-handed track, his trainer is known to be targeting Mr Grumpy at Musselburgh over the coming months. 

If she can keep him fit and healthy, he looks nicely enough handicapped to add to his sole Flat success for former trainer Keith Dalgleish.

*****

ROYAL MACNAB (10yo, Rebecca Menzies)

FEW horses know their way around Musselburgh better than Royal Macnab. There must just be something about the crisp sea air that fills his lungs with verve and his nostrils with the scent of victory.

Of his five career wins over fences, three have come here – and all over the same distance of 2m4f.

Off the track for the best part of 20 months with a leg injury, but he’s been painstakingly nursed back to fitness by his Durham-based trainer Rebecca Menzies.

A comeback run at Southwell in late-summer will no doubt have blown away many of the cobwebs ahead of a return to his favourite stamping ground this winter.

***** 

THE COMPELLER (6yo, Lucinda Russell)

IT’S taken The Compeller time to find his feet in handicaps, but he’s rapidly making up for lost time now.

A runner-up finish to Morning With Ivan at our March meeting was the prelude to back-to-back Perth triumphs in April and then June.

Trainer Lucinda Russell will be relieved the handicapper hasn’t overreacted to those victories and he looks set for a productive campaign as a result.

Having only recently returned to full training following a short break, we may not see The Compeller in action at our early fixtures.

However, he’s one to look out for when Russell – the leading trainer at Musselburgh over the last five seasons – has him back up and running.