'We've started well' - Middleham Park chasing Musselburgh prize after excellent run of success

Middleham Park Racing hit the big time last year, but its rise was built on bread-and-butter races such as this and it is hardly surprising the syndicate group takes two shots at the £18,039 prize.

Its trump card, according to early betting at least, is the Richard Fahey-trained Monsieur Kodi, a recent course-and-distance winner.

The Thin Blue Line is also on duty and ought not to be dismissed, according to Middleham Park's Tim Palin.

He said: "The Thin Blue Line has not had things go his way this season. I would probably have them closer than the market might suggest, but we've always thought a bit of Monsieur Kodi as a mid-range handicapper.

"He improved last season and started this season well, but there's probably not too much between them. They're two nice horses and Monsieur Kodi might be open to more improvement, but things just didn't happen for The Thin Blue Line at Beverley last time and he could step up on that."

The successful syndicate enjoyed top-flight glory over jumps with Marie's Rock and on the Flat with The Platinum Queen in 2022 and Palin added: "It was a record year for us. We'd never had a year winning a Grade 1 and a Group 1, and we've started this year well with nearly 30 winners and around £650,000 in prize-money.

"We've been second in a Grade 1, won a Grade 2, won a Group 3 on Friday and had two Listed winners. Last year was a hard act to follow, but we're giving it our best shot. We've got 133 horses and there are 32 two-year-olds to go to war with among them."

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