November 21 / 13.57 Musselburgh

13.57

Soft

Sponsor The Saltire For A Day Handicap Hurdle (Go North Cab On Target Series Qualifier)

  • Prize money: £3975.58
  • 2m 3f 171y
  • Class 4
  • 6 runners
RTV
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Sponsor The Saltire For A Day Handicap Hurdle (Go North Cab On Target Series Qualifier)

Runners: 6 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Showers

5/2 (Won)

  • Win: £2.75
  • Place: £1.40

Form: 431-41 D

Last run: 47 days

W: 12st 0lb

8 yo Gelding

OR: 113

Form & Verdict
Left clear at final fence to score by 10l at Sedgefield (2m3f, good to soft) last month and is now 2-4 for Iain Jardine; reverts to hurdling on a 6lb higher mark but must be considered in current form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

30th Oct 2025

Good To Firm

2m 4f 19y

Class 4

15:38 Newcastle

Half Shot

11st 8lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Iain Jardine

Has won four chases, latest at Kelso in April (2m7f, good); mixed form since, including fair third back at Kelso last time (3m2f, good); a possible, though perhaps better at further these days.

11/4

2

30th Oct 2025

Good To Firm

2m 4f 19y

Class 4

15:38 Newcastle

Half Shot

11st 8lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Iain Jardine

Has won four chases, latest at Kelso in April (2m7f, good); mixed form since, including fair third back at Kelso last time (3m2f, good); a possible, though perhaps better at further these days.

11/4

4th

1

17th Sep 2025

Good

2m 5f 133y

Class 4

17:00 Kelso

Half Shot

12st 1lb

J: Brian Hughes

T: Iain Jardine

Captured this prize a year ago and in good form until ridden aggressively when tenth in 2m5f Cartmel handicap chase 23 days ago; it would come as no surprise to see him play a major role here.

9/1

OUR TIP

4/1

  • Place: £1.80

Form: 4-63F4

Last run: 144 days

W: 11st 4lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 103

Form & Verdict
Unexposed 6yo from a good jumping family; not seen since underwhelming effort in Perth maiden in June but significant positives can be drawn from his first three hurdle runs and he should have more to offer in handicaps.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

4

7th Apr 2025

Good

2m 6f 151y

Class 4

14:15 Kelso

Kilbrainy

11st 6lb

J: Ryan Mania

T: Sandy Thomson

towards rear throughout

6/1

8th

4

7th Apr 2025

Good

2m 6f 151y

Class 4

14:15 Kelso

Kilbrainy

11st 6lb

J: Ryan Mania

T: Sandy Thomson

towards rear throughout

6/1

Form: 5344-5

Last run: 22 days

W: 11st 0lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 99

Form & Verdict
Generally disappointing since winning at Haydock in early 2021 but travelled well for a long way when fifth on last month's seasonal debut at Carlisle (2m1f, heavy) and has become too well handicapped to rule out.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

2

18th Mar 2025

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

14:00 Wetherby

Serious Ego

11st 13lb

J: Conor Rabbitt

T: Nicky Richards

held up in rear, no impression from 4 out

14/1

Form: -35126 CD

Last run: 55 days

W: 11st 5lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 104

Form & Verdict
Scored over C&D on soft ground in February and added to his tally at Perth (2m4f, good) in the summer; seemingly ended up with too much to when ridden very patiently at Sedgefield on latest outing; can pose a threat if this race pans out more favourably.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

3

30th Nov 2023

Good

2m 2f 40y

Class 5

14:35 Taunton

Idilico

11st 6lb

J: Ben Jones

T: Alexandra Dunn

Runner-up in selling handicap hurdle last month but well beaten on the Flat twice since, and his record over fences is not convincing; blinkers fitted for first time since 2021; too risky.

16/1

10th

6

(7)

18th Nov 2023

Standard

1m 7f 169y

Class 6

12:16 Lingfield (AW)

Idilico

9st 11lb

J: David Probert

T: Alexandra Dunn

towards rear, headway and prominent after 4f

16/1

Form: 0080-

Last run: 228 days

W: 11st 2lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 101

Form & Verdict
Well beaten on all four starts, most recently when 66-1 for handicap debut at Limerick (2m, good) in April; moves up in trip today; remains unexposed and is worth keeping an eye on in the betting.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

15th Jan 2026

Soft

2m 5f 0y

12:23 Fairyhouse

Dont Talk

11st 9lb

J: Ben Harvey

T: Karl Thornton

Gained back-to-back wins at Down Royal and at this course last January, latterly off 104; huge improvement needed judged on first two runs of the season but tends to come alive around this time of the season; monitor the betting.

20/1

7

22nd Apr 2025

Soft To Heavy

2m 5f 0y

15:25 Fairyhouse

Dont Talk

10st 6lb

J: Aileen O’Sullivan

T: Karl Thornton

Followed up a 2m4f win at Down Royal in January with a 2m1f success at this venue four days later, beating subsequent 8l Gowran winner Champagne Mahler; should be better for a run at Limerick earlier in the month; has 3-8 record at this track.

10/1

7

22nd Apr 2025

Soft To Heavy

2m 5f 0y

15:25 Fairyhouse

Dont Talk

10st 6lb

J: Aileen O’Sullivan

T: Karl Thornton

Followed up a 2m4f win at Down Royal in January with a 2m1f success at this venue four days later, beating subsequent 8l Gowran winner Champagne Mahler; should be better for a run at Limerick earlier in the month; has 3-8 record at this track.

10/1

Form: 3247-P

Last run: 193 days

W: 11st 3lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 102

Form & Verdict
Flopped badly in two handicaps in the spring and reappears with a point to prove but ran well from the front when clear second to useful rival in C&D novice (good to soft) on stable debut last December and will be hard to beat if his latest wind op enables him to replicate that piece of form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

5

13th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

14:33 Perth

Garde Des Champs

11st 5lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Hasn't the best of strike-rates but both his wins have been here, the latest over C&D last July (good) when wearing cheekpieces for the first time; disappointing up in trip here last time (didn't jump well); may have to race run to suit him but will need to jump better.

14/1

8th

5

20th Apr 2026

Good

2m 5f 133y

Class 4

15:00 Kelso

Garde Des Champs

11st 7lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Largely consistent 10yo who belatedly opened his chasing account at Perth (2m, good; first-time cheekpieces) last summer; absent since below-par effort in October but ran well when fresh here (2m4f, good) last spring and returns from latest break on a workable mark.

9/1

5

25th Oct 2025

Good

2m 1f 14y

Class 3

16:30 Kelso

Garde Des Champs

10st 8lb

J: Alan Doyle

T: Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore

Reasonably consistent and ran respectably on the bare figures over C&D most recently; however, still has a modest strike-rate, which includes a record of just 1-19 in the chase sphere.

6/1

Non-runners

Garde Des Champs

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £6.60
Straight Forecast £7.56
Trifecta £18.90

Selections

POSTDATA:

Half Shot

RP Ratings:

Serious Ego

The Times:

Idilico

D Express:

Kilbrainy

SPOTLIGHT:

Garde Des Champs

Telegraph:

Half Shot

The Guardian:

Half Shot

The Sun:

Half Shot

Daily Record:

Half Shot

TOPSPEED:

Serious Ego

The Star:

Serious Ego

Daily Mail:

Idilico

Daily Mirror:

Idilico