Brighton and Musselburgh

Very modest fare, as usual for a Monday, at Brighton and Musselburgh this afternoon. The best race at the Scottish track is the 5 furlongs handicap at 16.45 CET, named after Le Garcon d´Or, one of the most popular handicappers of the 1960s and 1970s and winner of 34 races. Many of the usual suspects are engaged, indeed 6 of the 11 runners are CD winners. Jim Goldie holds a strong hand here with last year´s winner Rothesay Dancer (Daniel Tudhope) and top-weight Blazing Heights (Greg Bartley), both of whom have a good record here. The danger could come from Anne Duffield´s Handsome Cross (Royston Ffrench), who has been dropped in the weights. The most interesting race at Brighton is the 1 1/2 miles handicap for maiden 3y´s at 17.00. Obviously no stars in the line-up, but several who look leniently handcapped, for example Sir Mark Prescott´s Astrodome (Daragh O´Donohoe) and Mark Johnston`s Gerrman-bred Bocciani (Jean-Pierre Guillambert), from two trainers who are always to be respected here. Prescott´s stable jockey Seb Sanders cannot do the weight and rides Nino Cochise for Charlie Egerton. Another German-bred with chances is Ian Wood´s Easy Wonder (Sanders), who was a close third here yesterday. He runs in the 5 furlongs handicap at 18.00 and has two last-time-out CD winners to beat - Croeso Bach (Jon Spearing/ SophieDoyle) and Arfinnit (Anabel King/ Kirsty Milczarek).