SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR MUSSELBURGH WINNER

By Tony Kelshaw

Simple Star has built up a fine record at Musselburgh since joining Dianne Sayer last year and can continue a trend of good runs there in the Portobello Cup Handicap.

The Sea The Stars gelding posted form figures of ‘1212’ at the Scottish track once finding his feet for Sayer last season and kicked off the current campaign with a neck second there in April.

Following a few below-par performances elsewhere, the six-year-old was freshened up by being put over hurdles at Perth and travelled strongly throughout before securing a first triumph over timber.

Upon returning to his beloved Musselburgh on the level earlier this month, Simple Star was a touch unlucky to lose out in a three-way photo when finishing strongly after being caught short of room when cruising two furlongs out.

Moving back up in distance for this marathon event makes sense and he can go one better than when narrowly missing out in the same contest 12 months ago.

Lovely Spirit sets a solid standard in the Irish EBF Restricted Maiden Stakes following her trio of placed efforts to date.

Richard Fahey’s filly was sent off favourite for her Redcar debut and was prominent for a long way before finishing third behind Love Talk, who has since been stepped up to Group-class company.

Another bronze medal against Line Of Force at Ripon is working out reasonably well and her runner-up effort versus Toomuchforme at the same track was franked when that winner chased home Jewelry in a strong Newbury novice.

Although since offloaded by powerful owner Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum, Lovely Spirit has shown enough to suggest she can give her new syndicate some fun.

At Catterick, course and distance winner Ready Freddie Go gets the nod in the feature Best Odds Guaranteed At Vickers.Bet Handicap.

The Ollie Pears-trained six-year-old returned from a short break to make all at Thirsk recently and can strike again despite a 5lb uplift.

Dunamase should be ready to do the business in the Unibet/British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Kempton for John and Thady Gosden.

This 500,000gns Wathnan Racing recruit is a full-brother to last year’s Jersey Stakes winner Age Of Kings and shaped with promise in third on his Sandown debut when looking sure to benefit from the experience.

Cognisance pulled clear in impressive fashion to score on her Redcar debut and is taken to follow up in division two of the Unibet Support Safe Gambling Novice Stakes.

Letterston Lily appeals in the Peter Dawson Forget-Me-Not Novices’ Hurdle on a competitive National Hunt card at Worcester.

The four-year-old was denied a hat-trick by Gale Mahler at Market Rasen but that winner franked the form by bolting up at the Galway Festival next time out.

Top tips for today’s UK meetings

TAB is betting on 4 UK meetings today. Here are the tips.

CATTERICK: Race 1: 15.15 Stapleford Park, Race 2: 15.45 Flight Radar, Race 3: 16.15 Rain
Cap, Race 4: 16.50 Desert Dream, Race 5: 17.25 Jamih, Race 6: 17.55 Ready Freddie Go, Race
7: 18.30 Gis A Sub, Race 8: 19.00 Highjacked.

MUSSELBURGH: Race 1: 15.30 Lovely Spirit, Race 2: 16.00 Rex Carver, Race 3: 16.35 Miners
Gamble, Race 4: 17.05 SIMPLE STAR (NAP), Race 5: 17.35 Medici Pass, Race 6: 18.05 Eternal
Sunshine.

WORCESTER: Race 1: 17.40 Lost Connections, Race 2: 18.10 Hang In There, Race 3: 18.40
Queen Of The Vale, Race 4: 19.10 Letterston Lily, Race 5: 19.40 Red Hugh, Race 6: 20.10
Donnie Azoff, Race 7: 20.40 My Chiquita.

KEMPTON: Race 1: 19.00 Dunamase, Race 2: 19.30 Upscale, Race 3: 20.00 Cognisance, Race
4: 20.30 Tuneful, Race 5: 21.00 New Chelsea, Race 6: 21.30 Felicity, Race 7: 22.00
Inappropriate.

ALL TO COME: Lovely Spirit and Simple Star (Musselburgh, Races 1 and 4).

For fields, race betting and more information go to www.tab4Racing.com