Little Bruce fancied for a third regional National at Musselburgh

bet365 Edinburgh National Handicap Chase | 4m1f | 5yo+ | ITV4/RTV

Tipster analysis

Musselburgh is a front-runners' track, that much is established. It has not yet been borne out in two runnings of this race, which could mean nothing but is probably some indication of the greater time the field has to organise. After all, it is only off the final sweeping bend that prominent racing tends to matter here.

Little Bruce is the likely favourite and a solid pace angle. He can make the running or take a lead, but he will surely be in the front rank. His record over extreme trips also takes the eye: he is F211 over 3m4f or further, with the wins coming at Catterick (sharp) and Huntingdon (good ground, right-handed).

His win in the North Yorkshire National, a 0-140, last time also included Sumkindofking (second) and Brian Boranha (fell last, might have been second otherwise). They are also prominent in the early betting. That rather tells of a race that is no better than average for the 0-150 grade.

The main southern raider is Chic Name, whose recent form in cross-country races is hard to weigh up. The raw level of form seems good enough to make him competitive here. His form with Joe Farrell last March also reads pretty well and he is only 3lb higher now, although Jonjo O'Neill jnr was taking off 5lb at the time. If cheekpieces have a positive effect, he can expect to be thereabouts.

The race is testing not only cross-country form, but also that from hunters. Wonderful Charm has been cutting it in that division for some years now but is smart on those terms. His last handicap run was in One For Arthur's Grand National, when he was off 153. Here he races off 137, a mark within his capabilities on a positive reading of even recent hunter efforts.

Mention also goes to Arthur's Gift. He keeps shaping like wanting a marathon, but has not quite come up to scratch in the Midlands and Welsh Nationals. His run in the latter on his most recent appearance was a solid one and if he handles the tight track odds of around 12-1 would look generous. That most of his form is on more testing ground is likely incidental, a measure of his latent stamina rather than anything else.
Keith Melrose

Harry The Viking bids to sign off in style

Veteran Harry The Viking will be among the rank outsiders, but he's guaranteed a big reception wherever he finishes as this will be the 15-year-old's 50th and final competitive appearance in a career that began inauspiciously a lifetime ago in a Larkhill point-to-point.

A winner on his third and final start in that sphere, Harry The Viking went on to cut quite a dash on joining Paul Nicholls for a partnership that included Sir Alex Ferguson, but for the last six years he has been one of the family at Sandy Thomson's stables at Greenlaw in Berwickshire.

Harry The Viking took his time getting off the mark for his new connections, but something clicked when conditional Rachael McDonald got on board and the pair have won three nice prizes. She will miss him more than most.

McDonald, who won the Edinburgh National two years ago on stable-companion Full Jack, said: "He's been an absolute star for me and I'm going to miss riding him in his races. He's been a good servant to the yard as a whole, but he's been particularly good to me as I've been lucky enough to win three nice races on him, including the Borders National at Kelso twice.

"That's one of the biggest races we have in these parts and so a great thrill to a rider like me. It's quite sad that he's having his last race, but so long as he comes back in one piece we'll all be happy."

Harry The Viking and Rachael McDonald on their way to a second win in the Borders National at Kelso in 2018Credit: Grossick Photography

She added: "As an individual he's really laid back, but he's a bit of a character and you never know how he's going to run until he gets to the races – it depends which side of the bed he gets out of.

"But he's an absolute gent to have anything to do with and I've hunted him a few times, which he's absolutely loved. He's just a star and a pleasure to have anything to do with."

Key stat

Races run over extreme distances at Musselburgh are rare, and this is just the third running of the Edinburgh National. Weight tells in all handicaps, but especially over this sort of distance, and when Full Jack finished well clear two years ago he received the best part of two stone from the second and third.

What they say

Phil Kirby, trainer of Little Bruce
He's won two of these regional Nationals already and I think he's got another good chance. He stays well and he's in really good order. He's in the right race and he's ready to go again.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Wonderful Charm
He's brilliant fresh, he loves a flat track and the ground is always a bit better up there, so it's a nice race to run him in. He'll hunter chase again after this.

Warren Greatrex, trainer of Bob Mahler
He's getting it all together now, running very solid races the last twice, and I think he's been crying out for this sort of trip. I brought Missed Approach up for this race two years ago and he finished second before going on to Cheltenham to win the Kim Muir. They're similar types and that's the plan. He seems in very good form at home and he'll enjoy the better ground.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Arthur's Gift
He was a fair seventh in the Welsh National and I'm hoping the better ground at Musselburgh will suit him. His rider [Jordan Nailor] takes off a useful 5lb, which is no bad thing over these extreme distances.

Tom George, trainer of Sumkindofking
He's in good form and appreciated the step up in trip at Catterick last time, where he just found one too good for him. That was Little Bruce, who he meets on better terms this time, so we're hopeful.

Richard Hobson, trainer of Chic Name
We've purposefully kept him for this race since his last run in a cross-country race at Cheltenham and I think he's got a very good chance. He's been up against it with the ground so far this season, but it should be better at Musselburgh. He's got a lovely weight and should be bang there at the end.
Reporting by Graham Dench

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