The ITV cameras are at Musselburgh for a superb day's racing on Saturday and Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway guides you through his selections at the Edinburgh course.
Captain Cattistock @ 13/2
1pt win
Collingham @ 15/2
1pt win
The Edinburgh National Handicap Chase (2.03) is the feature on the card and the race looks set to live up to its name. There are 13 runners declared and a fiercely competitive contest looks like it is in store for one of the season's highlights by the sea on the Scottish coast.
The race brings together form lines from lots of regional Grand Nationals and Slipway comes here bidding to follow up his win in the Southern equivalent at Fontwell. However, he has been raised 7lb in the weights for that latest victory and will probably need a career best.
The best handicapped horse in the race might be last year’s winner CAPTAIN CATTISTOCK and he looks capable of repeating the feat 12 months on from a mark 11lb lower than his career high.
Captain Cattistock followed up his victory here last season with a comfortable success at Cheltenham in April and he has run two good races in defeat at that track this campaign.
The ten-year-old was beaten only four and three-quarter lengths into third behind Lord Accord at the October meeting and ran a similar race when fourth back there last time.
He was no match for Eva's Oskar that day, but may have found the race coming a bit soon after his previous outing as he seems to show all of his best form when fresh nowadays.
Trainer Fergal O’Brien has given Captain Cattistock a 57-day break to prepare for this repeat bid and that suggests he will be at his peak. Everything is in place for him to make a bold bid.
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The Scottish County Handicap Hurdle (3.16) is the other valuable race on the card and Paul Nicholls looks set to saddle the favourite here. Grivetana was second in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury and that form gives her a good chance, but she was disappointing there last time.
It’s worth taking her on after such a below-par display and the key piece of form could be the race in which Nayati beat COLLINGHAM over course and distance a month ago, in a good time.
That looked like a strong contest beforehand and it was well run throughout, with the Donald McCain-trained pair fighting out the finish. Nayati got the better of Collingham by two lengths on that occasion, but there is a 3lb swing in the weights here to make it interesting.
Collingham is reunited with 10lb claimer Charlie Maggs, who partnered him to that runner-up finish, and can be taken to reverse the form on these slightly revised terms.
He was a course-and-distance winner in maiden company last season, so evidently goes particularly well at this track, and is only 3lb higher than when last successful in handicap company.
It’s only a matter of time before he cashes in on what looks a very lenient rating.
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