Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Musselburgh and Sandown on Saturday. View selections below.
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BARNEY DWAN (1.30) can boss a small but select field going to post for the Scottish Future Champions Novices’ Chase at Musselburgh.
An interesting card, sponsored by bet 365, sees some big southern stables represented and Fergal O’Brien’s Barney Dwan jumped like an old hand when running all over useful Clondaw Cian and Solighoster at Market Rasen, another right-handed circuit, in December.
Barney Dwan has plenty of speed as he demonstrated when chasing home Irish ace Presenting Percy in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.
SIR CHAUVELIN (2.05) has prospects of keeping at least one juicy pot in Scotland as he boasts very solid claims in the Scottish County Hurdle.
Jim Goldie’s dual-purpose gelding exhibited a smart turn of foot to scythe down Silver Concorde over course and distance and ground conditions should be ideal as long as heavy rain stays away.
Paul Nicholls fields a strong Saturday team across the country and Amour De Nuit should go well. Bryony Frost gave Frodon a superb ride to land a nice prize at Cheltenham last weekend and her 5lb claim puts her strong-travelling mount in the mix.
The 4m 1f Edinburgh National sees last year’s victor Dancing Shadow back to defend his crown, along with a couple of his rivals in behind that day.
However, DELUSIONOFGRANDEUR (3.15) possesses a touch of class in this grade and may be capable of defying top weight.
He finished a close third to O O Seven and Fagan in a classy 3m novice hurdle at this fixture two years ago and much more recently finished third in a blanket finish to the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby, just behind solid yardsticks Get On The Yager and last Saturday’s Donny scorer Wakanda.
MELROSE BOY (3.00) and Topofthegame remain relatively unexposed and could fight out the finish to the Betfred Heroes Handicap Hurdle at Sandown.
Melrose Boy won at Cheltenham’s big November fixture and although 12lb higher these days, he gets in here off a nice racing weight.
Harry Fry’s gelding ran into a couple of very smart novices at Newbury in Mr Whipped and Gowiththeflow, travelling well until fading between the last two flights. He has since ploughed through the Fontwell mud to score by a wide margin.
Topofthegame was bang there jumping the last two flights in the 32Red Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton before finishing fourth to useful William Henry. A 3lb rise is okay and an earlier fourth to Wholestone was another very solid effort.
On the same card, FINAL NUDGE (3.35) is worth a look in the 3m handicap chase.
The nine-year-old travelled supremely well in the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow before keeping on at one pace in third behind Raz De Maree.
Final Nudge had previously been pipped by in-form Present Man at Wincanton and handles soft ground very well.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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