Musselburgh today

Musselburgh offers the only N.H. meeting of the day, and it seems that there no weather problems there, although it is quite likely that more meetings will be abandoned later this week as a result of the frosty weather. Musselburgh also appears to have missed most of last week´s rain and snow, so that the going is forecast to be good to firm. Trainer Howard Johnson and his stable jockey Denis O´Regan once again look to be the team to follow, and they can win both divisions of the maiden hurdle with Caravel at 13.20 CET and Red Moloney an hour later, both smart flat race performers, as well as the novice hurdle at 14.50 with Night Force, although Numero Due could be a danger here. The big betting race is the class 3 handicap hurdle at 15.20, with Howard Davies and Denis O´Regan represented by Motive; he has a chance but this is a very open event, and Viper (Reg Hollinshead/ David Dennis) - not to be confused with the German hurdler of the same name - is our tentative suggestio n. German-bred Tiger KIng (Peter Monteith/ Timmy Murphy) has an each-way chance here, but the best German prospect is probably Leopold (DW Thomson/ Ryan Mania) in the conditional jockeys handicap chase at 13.50.

Betting forecast:
1.Race: Caravel - Divers - Hi Big Spec
2.Race: Leopold - Stravaigin - Divex
3.Race: Red Moloney - Skylancer - Bajan Parkes
4.Race: Numero Due - Night Force - Inner Voice
5.Race: Motive - Speed Up - Tension Point
6.Race: Cybora - Smart Man - Festival King
7.Race: Rushwee - Saveiro - Hillview Boy