Magical effect can cast his spell in Musselburgh handicap

Trainer Ruth Carr says Magical Effect was 'unlucky' at Catterick. Picture: PA.

The Yorkshire raider has had a productive campaign which has yielded two wins and four places from just eight starts for his Stillington trainer. Carr, right, said: “He’s a horse we’ve always liked and he’s had a very consistent season.

“His recent form is pretty good and he wasn’t beaten far over this trip when a little unlucky at Catterick even although both his wins have been at six furlongs.”

Among the opposition to Magical Effect is Tim Easterby’s narrow Catterick winner Sakhee’s Return and Mark Johnston-trained Thomas Cramer, a two-time course winner in May and June.

After combining for a double for their first course wins at Musselbugh last Wednesday, Lambourn trainer Archie Watson and jockey Edward Greatrex are after more success at the East Lothian venue. The pair team up with Masarzain in the Cala Homes Handicap and Brandon Castle in the Realm Constuction-Civil Engineering And Groundworks Handicap.

At Ascot, Banksea is a worthy ally in the Weatherbys Handicap. The Luca Cumani-trained four-year-old was disappointing in the Royal Hunt Cup on his most recent start in June, but he has been given plenty of time to recover from those exertions.

As such, Banksea should be much fresher than many of his rivals in this one-mile handicap, while he certainly has enough quality to go well in a race of this nature.

The son of Lawman was aggressively campaigned as a three-year-old and contested a raft of hot handicaps, including the Cambridgeshire at Newmarket last  September.

Having undergone a gelding operation soon afterwards, he returned to the fray at Newbury in April and produced a superb effort to win the Spring Cup.

The form from that race looks watertight as runner-up Another Touch has since won a Listed race, while Fastnet Tempest claimed victory on his next two starts.

Banksea has only had 12 career outings, so it is a perfectly acceptable claim to suggest he might still be a progressive animal at this sort of grade. And though he must shoulder top weight, a big show at Ascot will be needed to fuel dreams of a successful second assault on the Cambridgeshire.