Keith Melrose on why focusing on prominent racers is the strategy to follow

Sunday: 4.20 Musselburgh
Sky Bet Sunday Series Apprentice Training Series Handicap | Class 4 | 1m1f | 3yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Musselburgh's only direct draw bias exists on the five-furlong course; everything else that can be observed there is a function of pace and geographical location. The track is on the town's links land, which gives both excellent drainage and ever-present winds. It also has tight bends.

The wind on Sunday is forecast to be fairly moderate by coastal standards (less than 10mph), but directly behind runners up the home straight. This means the regular bias towards prominent racers on the round course should be observed and that those drawn to attack are duly favoured.

This is likely even to apply in this 1m1f handicap, where the field has the longest run before their first and only turn. The logical beneficiary is Six Strings, who has been in good form since joining Grant Tuer.

Recent form figures of 115222 suggest a horse who is starting to run out of road from a handicapping point of view, which given he is seven and operating about 10lb below his peak might be about right.

However, circumstances are clearly in his favour. Not only is he drawn in stall one with a history of prominent racing, but he also has a strong jockey booking in this apprentice handicap.

Oisin McSweeney has stolen the show a few times in races against his fellow apprentices and he has the opportunity to pull another stroke here.

Naturally, in a 0-85 with nearly £13,000 to the winner the opposition is fairly strong. Richard Fahey and Mark Johnston, two powerful northern stables that rarely let a big pot pass them by, are both heavily represented with two and three runners respectively, while Keith Dalgleish has booked the promising Saffie Osborne for the unexposed Noble Crusade.

Whatever happens today, like many of the Sunday Series races this could well be a 0-85 handicap to follow.

Keith Melrose, betting editor

What they say

Grant Tuer, trainer of Six Strings
He needs rattling ground so conditions will suit. I've taken a bit of a risk running him in an apprentice race as he's not the easiest customer, but Oisin [McSweeney] is riding well. He's not incredibly well handicapped but is capable off this mark.

Jim Goldie, trainer of Tommy G
He's had a great season and was second last time out. They're all inexperienced jockeys of course, but Tommy G's got plenty of experience and has a good draw. If you look at how much prize-money he's won, he's quite lucrative.

Dianne Sayer, trainer of Jackhammer and Detective
Jackhammer confirmed he doesn't like hurdles last time, so it's not the most conventional of preparations. He's got good form on the Flat, though, and has recently been bought into by owners who live very close to Musselburgh. Detective is in good heart but didn't find it as easy last time and we might have come to the end of the line with him.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz

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