Corsica can reap rewards on Musselburgh's richest day

IT MAY be ever so slightly in Epsom's shadow today, but Musselburgh is putting on a show of its own making with the running of the inaugural totesport.com Edinburgh Cup, supported by the ever-popular Totescoop6 Scottish Sprint Cup.

Derby followers can watch the action on the big screens at the East Lothian track during what is easily Musselburgh's richest race day, with the impressive pot of prize money standing just a whisker off 200,000.

General manager Bill Farnsworth has set his stall out by aiming to build up the feature race from its current 80,000 prize fund into a 100,000 fixture and he hasn't been disappointed at the quality of entries for the Edinburgh Cup's first outing.

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With a maximum field of 15 in the Class 2 Heritage Handicap, the top Newmarket stables are represented by John Gosden and William Haggas while Barry Hills and Mick Channon will be hoping for a share of the spoils.

Middleham's Mark Johnston is making a determined effort to keep the Edinburgh Cup in the north with the Kingsley House trainer running three of his original entry, headed by Corsica. Joe Fanning rides the top weight, who completed his hat-trick with an all-the-way success in the listed Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton last month. He landed The Scotsman nap that night, and we will stay loyal to him today. Haggas relies on the progressive Harris Tweed, a promising runner-up to Johnston's Green Lightning at Newmarket, while Gosden's lightly weighted Zuider Zee, the mount of Nicky Mackay, is another with a good chance. A cosy winner from Bowdler's Magic at Chester last time out Zuider Zee will be suited to Musselburgh's tight bends and quickish ground.

A quality field for the 50,000 totescoop6 Scottish Sprint Cup sees the recent York winner Hamish McGonagall attempt to concede weight to the in-form pair of Striking Spirit and Sea Of Leaves.

The Dandy Nicholls trained Striking Spirit is the best drawn of the trio and his sound fourth to Rileyskeepingfaith at Newbury suggests he will be suited by this sharp five furlongs. The vote, however, goes to the consistent David Barron campaigner Ingleby Lady, who is well drawn in stall five with Graham Gibbons in the saddle.

Channel 4 cover the first four races and probable Royal Ascot contender Excel Bolt should be the star of the 2.35, the totepool Edinburgh Castle Conditions Stakes. An impressive winner over the course on his debut, the Bryan Smart trained juvenile has the Norfolk Stakes as his target at the Royal Meeting and as his name would suggest the son of Exceed And Excel is blessed with more than his share of speed.