Horse Racing: Liberty ready to score once more

Liberty Island can prove a real bargain in the coming months after an impressive victory at Musselburgh recently and he can score again on the East Lothian track tomorrow.

The six-year-old had several victories to his credit when trained in Ireland before being bought by Scottish handler Ian Semple for just 4,500 guineas at the autumn sales last year.

A minor tendon injury held up his programme for his new connections, but the gelding showed bags of promise when fourth on his reappearance at Ayr at the end of May before scoring in great style on Ladies Day on this track a fortnight ago. He runs off a 6lb higher mark in the Investec Wealth & Investment handicap (3.45) tomorrow and faces several other recent winners, but he has winning form off even higher marks in the past.

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Da’Quond is another recent scorer here, having beaten Missile Attack and Sandwith at the last meeting and there won’t be much between them again, while Oldjoesaid came back to form with a win at Catterick recently. But Liberty Island looked to have plenty of improvement in him and with Duran Fentiman again on board, he gets the vote.

Patience can pay off for punters who wait until the last race to support Amethyst Dawn who makes the long trek North from Andrew Reid’s yard on the edge of London where Reid also practises as a solicitor. He bought Amethyst Dawn for 11,000gns at the autumn sales and although the grey has not shown a lot in seven outings so far for her new connections, she caught my eye on her two latest runs when fifth at Salisbury and then fourth at Lingfield.

Those efforts came after a three month break and she is now a stone lower than her last winning mark when trained by Tim Easterby to score at Thirsk almost exactly a year ago.

The fact that she has winning form over this course obviously tempted Reid to send her this far north and she can defy top weight in the Isle of Skye WhiskyHandicap (5.30).

Ponti Di Rosa opened her winning account over hurdles in the spring and scored for the first time on the level when taking a stayers handicap at Warwick recently for in-form Midlands trainer Michael Appleby.

The filly had earlier finished second at Yarmouth and can take tomorrow’s Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers Handicap (4.20). She loves soft ground and will have underfoot conditions to suit, while it is worth noting that she runs here instead of at Folkestone tomorrow – and she is Appleby’s only runner on the East Lothian track.

Oddsmaker loves this seaside circuit, having netted half of his twelve career wins here and he looked an unlucky loser when runner-up in an amateur riders event here recently when his inexperienced rider mistook the winning line and eased up prematurely.

He loves to dictate the pace, stays well and can make amends in the Turcan Connell Handicap (3.10) when he will have professional help from the saddle.

Musselburgh selections: 3.45: Liberty Island; 3.10: Oddsmaker; 5.30: Amethyst Dawn.