Musselburgh: Tate has runners in two feature races

THOUGH he will be at Epsom today to saddle Mirsaale in the Investec Derby, James Tate will be keeping a close eye on Musselburgh where he has runners in the two feature races at one of the big fixtures of the year at the East Lothian venue.

The Newmarket handler, who has yet to have a winner at the track in his short training career, is represented by Bin Singspiel in the totepool.com Tradesman’s Derby, while Naru faces nine rivals in the £60,000 totepool Edinburgh Cup.

Tate said: “Naru is a very, very talented horse. It’s a really good prize, that’s one of the reasons we are sending him all the way to Scotland along with the flat track. He wasn’t beaten very far in third behind Van Percy and Blue Wave at Haydock last time and he has a nice pull at the weights with those two at Musselburgh. With hindsight we should have kicked on earlier and he needs every yard of the trip so he will be staying on all the way up that home straight.”

Aberfoyle-born Mark Johnston is triple-handed with Blue Wave, Alta Lilea and Love Marmalade.

Thirty-five minutes earlier over the same extended mile and a half, Tate’s Bin Singspiel takes on seven opponents including Good Speech, trained by his father Tom.

Tate, who is the son-in-law of former leading Scottish jumps trainer Len Lungo, added: “My dad may have something to say about me winning the Trademan’s Derby as his horse is in excellent form. It would be nice for us to be first and second but in the right order!

“Bin Singspiel has ability but he is a bit of a playboy. He’s been second in his last two races over ten furlongs and this will be his first go over this longer trip.

“We sent a couple of runners up to Musselburgh last season and the heavens opened and the ground went against us.

“Hopefully conditions will be in our favour on Saturday.”

Meanwhie, Scottish jockey David Allan was suspended for ten days after finishing fourth aboard Mappin Time at Catterick yesterday.

Allan was found guilty by the local stewards of appearing to stop riding shortly before the winning post in the Pin Point Recruitment Handicap. The jockey will be banned from 14-23 June.