Horse Racing: Time for another Royal knees-up

Course specialist Royal Dignitary can get punters off to a flyer in the second stage of Musselburgh's two-day holiday fixture tomorrow.

The veteran has won 20 of his 74 starts, with five of those successes coming on the East Lothian track, and he can score again in the Totejackpot Classified Selling Stakes (2.30) which opens the seven-race card.

The gelding usually shows his best form at this time and has been successful over distances between seven and nine furlongs. Tomorrow's race is over the latter trip.

His Musselburgh record reads five wins, a second and two third places from just nine runs, but he has not ventured north of the Border since scoring over a mile on this track in July 2008.

Last spring, trainer Dandy Nicholls sent him to race at Cagnes-sur-Mer in the south of France, but the 11-year-old cut little ice on the heavy ground there.

He rattled up a quick hat-trick in April and May on his return to these shores, though, and was having his first run since August when sixth on his reappearance at Catterick last month.

The veteran showed the benefit of that exercise when scoring in game style at Southwell earlier this week and he can again prove too strong for his younger opponents here.

Malcheek also has winning form at Musselburgh on his CV and he can take the Totetentofollow Handicap (4.10).

The gelding registered a five-length success over this course and distance a couple of seasons ago and has been in good form with two victories on the all-weather surfaces during the winter, while he was also a close third in Listed company at Wolverhampton last month.

Top Newmarket trainer John Gosden sends a couple of runners on the long haul from Headquarters and Hunza Dancer should have little difficulty in opening his winning account in the Totepool Maiden Stakes (3.40).

An 80,000 guineas yearling, he is closely related to six winners and two of his full brothers were black-type performers.

The three-year-old showed promise when third despite a slow start on his debut last autumn and again occupied that same position at Sandown on his reappearance recently.

Mark Johnston has a 20 per cent strike rate on the seaside circuit over the past five seasons and can strike with Vetvey in the Bet Totepool Easter Handicap (5.10).

The gelding is closely related to six winners, but had only one second place from six starts last term. However, he has thrived since stepping up in distance this year, finishing fourth at Beverley and then winning in great style over a mile at Newcastle in midweek.

He made all the running there and jockey Silvestre de Sousa is likely to employ the same tactics under a 6lb penalty here.

Joe Rowntree's Musselburgh selections: 2.30 Royal Dignitary; 3.40 Hunza Dancer; 4.10 Malcheek; 5.10 Vetvey