Horse Racing: Musselburgh green for go

Things had looked doubtful until a slow thaw set in earlier this week but with temperatures staying above freezing, racing was given the go-ahead after a course inspection this morning.

"It has been incredibly hard for everyone," said racecourse boss Bill Farnsworth. "We have been raceable only two days in the past five weeks, but the frost is gradually relenting."

Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison sends a four-strong raiding party across the Border and should be rewarded with a double, beginning with Lethal Glaze in the Musselburgh Seasonal highlights Novices Hurdle (1.10pm).

A six-times winner on the level, the gelding was bought for 30,000 guineas at the Newmarket sales in October and duly made a successful debut over timber at Catterick.

He jumped well, has thrived in the interim while Ellison has his team in great form and is enjoying his best-ever year with 52 winners on the level and another 17 over jumps.

He can also take tomorrow's Hogmaneigh Handicap Hurdle (2.50pm) with Ultimate who also has some useful form on the level before switching to hurdles last winter when he won once and was placed in some top events.

The four-year-old was runner-up in the Triumph Hurdle Trial here last February before finishing third in a Grade Two event at Kempton Park. He has been fifth in all three of his starts this term - in good company on each occasion - and this looks an ideal opportunity for him to regain winning ways. Leith Walk's only success to date came over two and a half miles here last spring and the mare can score again in the Peter Monteith Memorial Handicap Hurdle (1.40pm). She was having her first run for five months when second at Carlisle in November and this longer trip looks made to measure.

Jukebox Melody can call the tune in the concluding Scottish Racing National Hunt Flat race (3.25pm) for the four-year-old has already shown plenty of ability. He was third on his racecourse debut at Market Rasen last May and returned to the Lincolnshire track to open his account in a bumper there in fine style last month.

The course is also the venue for the New Year Sprint, the heats of which began today.

Joe Rowntree's Musselburgh selections: 1.10 Lethal Glaze; 1.40 Leith Walk; 2.50 Ultimate; 3.25 Jukebox Melody