4 meetings today

Friday´s racing is often high class, but this is not the case today, when the jumping at Musselburgh and Huntingdon and the all-weather flat racing at Lingfield and Wolverhampton are all low grade. The most interesting event at Huntingdon is the novice chase at 15.10 CET, but as so often, the race has cut up badly and there are only 4 runners, 3 of whom have not run for at least 22 months.

That makes a selection difficult, but German-bred Platin Grounds (Nigel Twiston-Davies/ Paddy Brennan) is given a narrow vote over Mr. Gardner (Nicky Henderson/ Barry Geraghty). Henderson and Geraghty must also have a good chance in the novice hurdle at 14.40 with ex-French Spirit Son, last seen winning a listed race at Auteuil; Palace Jester (Jonjo O´Neill/ Tony McCoy), an easy winner at Wetherby last time, is the obvious danger. Rawaaj (Donald McCain/ Henry Brooke) is much improved and won for the first time at Hereford 11 days ago. In our opinion neither the extra 7 lbs nor the longer distance will not stop him winning again in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle at 13.40.

An interesting runner at Musselbugh is Aikman (James Ewart/ Harry Haynes) in the maiden hurdle at 13.50. After winning 3 point-to-points he made a winning debut under rules in a bumper at Ayr in June, but has not run since. He may be able to see off some decent ex-flat runners today and his team can follow up with Vosges in the 4yo hurdle at 15.20, who has only 3 modest opponents to beat. Trickier is the 3 mile handicap chase at 16.20. Isla Pearl Fisher (NM Alexander/ Paddy Aspell) was still in contention when falling at the last at Ayr last time and can gain recompense here, but top-weight Go Silver Bullet (Lucinda Russell/ Peter Buchanan) and Ballabrook (MCain/ Jason Maguire) provide some serious opposition.

Barney Curley has been very expensive to follow recently, but has a definite winning chance today with No Complaining, who has only to reproduce the form shown in his last two outings to win the first division of the 10 furlongs handicap at 16.00 at Lingfield, while the second division, half an hour later can go to top-weight Sunset Boulevard (Jim Best/ Jamie Spencer), all of whose 5 career wins have come here over 12 furlongs.

The bst race of the all-wather tday is the 6 furlongs hnicp at 18.10 t Wolvrhamptpn´s twlighit meting. Ajara (Tom Dascombe/ Richrd Kingscote) is th likly favourit, hving won 4 of his lst 5 races, all at tis track. However he is moving up in grade here, and both Jigajig (Kevin and Amy Ryan) and Methaaly (Michael Mullineaux/ Joseph Young), runners-up to him recently, are handicapped to get much closer this time, while top-weight Cardinal (Robert Cowell/ Hayley Turner) also has a chance on his best form.