Happy Monday at Musselburgh

Published on Wednesday 1 July 2009 22:53

BOOKMAKERS get called a few names when they relieve punters of their money, but they have showed their kinder side by helping Musselburgh to provide free entry for all racegoers this Monday.

Sponsors Blue Square and the East Lothian racecourse's on-course bookmakers are sharing the cost of the free entry, which saves race goers the standard 13 ticket price.

The afternoon meeting will also promote the works of and raise funds for local charity, the Muirfield Racing for Disabled Association.

To add to the family affair, Muirfield RDA is staging a variety of free attractions. Former Scottish rugby star Doddie Weir will host a special RDA Parade Ring and eight Muirfield ponies will take part in the Muirfield RDA Pony Race along the final furlong. And in a tribute to the late bookmaker, "Fearless" Freddie Williams, who died last June and was a regular at Musselburgh, the first race will be named in his honour.

There is some decent Scottish racing to enjoy this month and Perth racegoers basked in the sunshine yesterday and will be hoping for more of the same today. The feature Northern Marine Underwriters Scotland Handicap Chase looks a good opportunity for Lucinda Russell's course winner Go Silver Bullet to notch another victory.

Meanwhile, Sir Michael Stoute has made just two entries, Harbinger and Saptapadi, in his bid to land back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes St Leger.

After 34 years of trying to win the world's oldest Classic, Conduit finally ended the Newmarket trainer's hoodoo at Doncaster last September. And now he will look to either Saptapadi, who carries the Conduit colours of the Ballymacoll Stud, or the lightly-raced Harbinger to add a second.

The latter is a 12-1 chance with the sponsors, having shown plenty of promise when getting off the mark at the second attempt in a ten-furlong maiden at Chester in May.

"I saw Harbinger on Tuesday morning and he looked fantastic," said Harry Herbert, managing director of the colt's owners, Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. "He did some half-speed work today and he's really doing well physically. At the moment, the plan is to run him in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood at the end of the month and take it one step at a time. We will learn more about him there."

Golden Sword is the 4-1 favourite with Ladbrokes and the Irish Derby runner-up is among 15 entries from Aidan O'Brien's stable. The Ballydoyle maestro has already won the Leger three times and his other possibles include Masterofthehorse, Black Bear Island, Freemantle, Age Of Aquarius, Changingoftheguard and Dixie Music.

Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Again, trained by David Wachman, and the Aga Khan's Irish Derby third Mourayan, trained by John Oxx, complete a 17-strong Irish team. Others among a total of 41 entries include Kite Wood, Mastery and Flying Cloud from Godolphin's seven, and Henry Cecil's duo of Father Time and Native Ruler.

&#149 Ruby Walsh returns to race-riding today after recovering from a broken ankle.

The Irish rider has been out of action since a fall at Killarney on 10 May, but has a couple of mounts at Bellewstown.