By Adam Morgan, PA
Indication Spirit blitzed the opposition at Musselburgh earlier this month and is poised to double her tally at the track in the Celebrating Musselburgh Festival 2023 Nursery Handicap.
Following a solid showing to finish second at Hamilton on debut, where the daughter of Magna Grecia made some eyecatching headway from a slow start, Karl Burke's youngster headed across Scotland to the Edinburgh track for her second start and never saw a rival as she blazed a trail from the front over the minimum five furlongs.
She showed plenty of tactical speed over this sharp sprint track and that combined with a more than adequate turn of foot makes her the one to beat in this nursery handicap.
It could be a good afternoon for jockey Paul Mulrennan as he partners Jim Goldie's Braes Of Doune in the opening Support Musselburgh Athletic FC Classified Stakes.
A winner at Ayr last month, he arrives in good form and although the step up in trip will test every ounce of stamina, this looks a very winnable assignment.
Mulrennan can quickly add to his tally aboard Archie Watson's Elusive Empire in the British Stallion Studs EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes.
The son of Territories produced a career best when dropped back to seven furlongs at Salisbury and racing over that distance once again, can build on that second to open his account at the fourth attempt.
The best bet on Wolverhampton's Tapeta could be Belle Storm in the At The Races App Expert Tips EBF Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes.
James Tate's youngster has made the podium on both starts so far, including over course and distance on debut.
She raced keenly when fading in the final 110 yards at Beverley last time when third behind a winner who has subsequently franked the form.
That came over seven and a half furlongs, but this is back at seven and she can put her experience of the track and trip to good use to open her account.
It looks only a matter of time before John Mackie's Bomb Squad blasts his way back on to the scoresheet and the consistent operator could be the answer to the In the Follow @attheraces On Twitter Handicap.
Second in his last three starts, the five-year-old is just 2lb higher than when beaten a length on his penultimate outing and just a 1lb higher than when also hitting the bar at Newcastle over six furlongs most recently.
There is also all-weather action at Chelmsford, where Saeed bin Suroor could register a double.
He saddles Arctic Mountain in the Ministry Of Sound Disco Maiden Stakes, with the half-brother to the Group Two-winning Lucida an interesting newcomer, while Wild Hurricane has shown potential on a synthetic surface and is now tried in first-time cheekpieces in the Racing Welfare Handicap.
A switch to handicap company should do the trick for Imperial Data over the jumps at Southwell.
Successful in the Irish point-to-point sphere in the spring, the six-year-old has finished second in a couple of novice hurdles at Hexham since joining Rebecca Menzies.
He looked likely to take top honours on his most recent visit to Northumberland, but an awkward leap at the final flight gave odds-on favourite Champagnesocialist a sniff and he took full advantage.
With a step up from two and a half to three miles expected to suit, the Menzies runner looks feasibly treated off a mark of 103 ahead of the Sponsorshipbranding@Signsolutions.org Novices' Handicap Hurdle.
SELECTIONS:
BALLINROBE: 4.38 Art Of Silence, 5.08 Gino Drummer Boy, 5.38 Only One Plan, 6.08 Calico, 6.38 As Tears Go By, 7.08 Florey Spud, 7.38 Glendars Mahler, 8.08 Mister Pink.
CHELMSFORD: 6.20 Kodi Dancer, 6.50 Macanudo, 7.20 Never This Way, 7.50 Wild Hurricane, 8.20 Arctic Mountain, 8.50 Letaba.
MUSSELBURGH: 2.30 Braes Of Doune, 3.05 Elusive Empire, 3.40 Gone, 4.15 INDICATION SPIRIT (NAP), 4.50 Castan, 5.20 Cuban Rock.
SOUTHWELL: 2.45 Al Zaraqaan, 3.20 Swapped, 3.55 Ma Belle Noire, 4.25 Our Scholar, 5.00 Imperial Data, 5.30 Bensini.
WOLVERHAMPTON: 5.25 Breguet Boy, 6.00 Belle Storm, 6.30 Magic Gem, 7.00 Bomb Squad, 7.30 Hildegard, 8.00 Parisiac, 8.30 Show Compassion, 9.00 Lancashire Life.
DOUBLE: Indication Spirit and Belle Storm.
TAB is betting on 4 UK meetings today. Here are the tips.
MUSSELBURGH: Race 1: 15.30 Braes Of Doune, Race 2: 16.05 Elusive Empire, Race 3: 16.40 Gone, Race 4: 17.15 INDICATION SPIRIT (NAP), Race 5: 17.50 Castan, Race 6: 18.20 Cuban Rock.
SOUTHWELL: Race 1: 15.45 Al Zaraqaan, Race 2: 16.20 Swapped, Race 3: 16.55 Ma Belle Noire, Race 4: 17.25 Our Scholar, Race 5: 18.00 Imperial Data, Race 6: 18.30 Bensini.
WOLVERHAMPTON: Race 1: 18.25 Breguet Boy, Race 2: 19.00 Belle Storm, Race 3 : 19.30 Magic Gem, Race 4: 20.00 Bomb Squad, Race 5: 20.30 Hildegard, Race 6: 21.00 Parisiac, Race 7: 21.30 Show Compassion, Race 8: 22.00 Lancashire Life.
CHELMSFORD: Race 1: 19.20 Kodi Dancer, Race 2: 19.50 Macanudo, Race 3: 20.20 Never This Way, Race 4: 20.50 Wild Hurricane, Race 5: 21.20 Arctic Mountain, Race 6: 21.50 Letaba.
ALL TO COME: Indication Spirit (Musselburgh, Race 4) and Belle Storm (Wolverhampton, Race 2).
For fields, race betting and more information go to www.tab4racing.com