Horse Racing: Musselburgh no obstacle for in-form trainer Richard Fahey

Published on Saturday 21 November 2009 10:20

RICHARD FAHEY has enjoyed a highly-successful year on the level and the Yorkshire trainer can strike over obstacles with Amanda Carter at Musselburgh tomorrow.

The former jump jockey knows what it takes to score at the winter game and Amanda Carter looks an interesting recruit in the opening toteplacepot Mares Maiden Hurdle (12.15pm).

The five-year-old has six victories to her credit on the flat, the latest of them coming at the prestigious Western meeting at Ayr in September when she spread-eagled a good field to win by eight lengths. That was over a mile and five furlongs, so there can be no doubting her stamina for the winter game and I expect her to make a successful start to her new career.

Still at Lunch has won two of his three races so far this term and can add another prize to that record in the toteswinger Handicap hurdle (12.50pm) on the East Lothian track.

Both his recent wins have come at Kelso – the latest just a fortnight ago – but he did land the very first success of his career in a bumper on this track a couple of seasons ago and the six-year-old is still very much on the upgrade.

My Arch has winning form on the level and over hurdles and caught my eye when finishing midfield in a competitive handicap at York on the flat last month after almost 18 months on the sidelines with a back injury he sustained when falling over hurdles at Perth. The gelding is now with Ollie Pears, who has elected to send him over the larger obstacles so the gelding must have schooled well at home and missed an excellent opportunity in a novice event when Hexham was abandoned in mid-week.

Pears has re-routed the seven-year-old to Musselburgh where he can make a successful fencing debut in the totetrifecta Handicap Chase (3.10pm).

He takes on seasoned handicap chasers, but the official assessor has eased him in the ratings after that lengthy absence and My Arch can run off his hurdles mark so should be at decent odds.

Eastern Supreme landed a bit of a gamble when making a successful debut in a bumper at Market Rasen and can follow up in the concluding Racing UK National Hunt Flat race (3.40pm).

The four-year-old cost 17,000 guineas as a youngster and was backed from 5-1 to 3-1 before cruising clear in the final half mile on the Lincolnshire track under Graham Lee. Owner-trainer Peter Niven has booked smart conditional Ryan Mania whose 5lb claim will nullify the penalty collected for that recent success.

Joe Rowntree's Musselburgh Selections: 12.15 Amanda Carter; 12.50 Still at Lunch; 3.10 My Arch; 3.40 Eastern Supreme.