Alan Thomson’s Tips: Battle lines drawn for Great Fighter at Musselburgh

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MUSSELBURGH puts on an interesting stayers’ handicap and GREAT FIGHTER (4.00) renews rivalry with the Keith Dalgleish-trained duo Sebastian’s Wish and Kensington Star, having beaten them fairly comfortably over course and distance in June.

Of the trio, Kensington Star is best off at these revised weights but seems to have gone off the boil. Sebastian’s Wish, on the other hand, continues to thrive and has won four of his five starts for the Carluke trainer. The handicapper will catch up with Sebastian’s Wish one day, possibly this afternoon, but he looks sure to go off a well-backed favourite if the ground is riding fast as predicted.

Great Fighter wasn’t helped by the modest gallop at York last time out and had far too much leeway to make up when the pace quickened. They should go a better clip here and Jim Goldie’s stayer can pounce late.

Any significant rain would suit Kensington Star more than the other two principals, while Chester Cup runner-up Yorkidding is pretty versatile in that department and is usually thereabouts.

ALEXANDRAKOLLONTAI (3.30) bounced back to form with a vengeance at Redcar and she can follow up if the weather stays dry.

Alistair Whillans’ mare has a definite preference for a sound surface these days and she shaped well enough on her last visit to Musselburgh when fourth to useful Lincoln Rocks. A 7lb rise for her Redcar victory represents a stiffish mark to overcome but I fancy her to defy top weight.

Whatsthemessage is also up 7lb for Saturday’s Thirsk success and Keith Dalgleish’s three-year-old likes to lead or sit handy, not bad tactics around here.

The Stalking Moon carries a 6lb penalty for scoring here last Friday evening when she benefited from the heavens opening. Unless the filly is lucky with soft ground again, she could prove a vulnerable favourite.

I’ve had a decent each-way punt on WORDINESS (4.20) in the 2m handicap at Wolverhampton.

He’s been around the block a few times but David Evans has had Wordiness in really good nick this summer, scoring by seven lengths from Stormin Tom in an amateur riders’ contest at Doncaster.

Stormin Tom ran second to Sebastian’s Wish at Musselburgh 12 days later and that puts Wordiness in with a big shout. Wordiness has since run fourth to the 82-rated Stamford Raffles in a six-runner affair at Haydock when the lack of pace and easier ground didn’t suit my selection. The nine-year-old is best attacking off a stronger gallop so let’s hope this doesn’t become slow and tactical.

Lady Makfi beat three rivals to land this prize 12 months ago and bids for a repeat off the same rating. A four-time winner on the all-weather, she will strip sharper for a recent spin on unsuitable soft ground at Ffos Las following a break. She hasn’t hit the heights lately but may well emerge as the main danger.

Scobie Jardine’s Mr Globetrotter ran a stinker over hurdles at Perth and is 14lb higher now than when scrambling home over course and distance back in March.

Cavalieri beat him at Redcar in April and is 4lb better off, but finished last of 12 at Thirsk last time.

IMPACT POINT (3.20 looks the answer to a fairly competitive 1m 4f maiden. Andrew Balding’s colt hasn’t been seen since getting a rear view of Dubai Horizon at Lingfield in April and the winner and fourth home Nathania are now rated in the 80s. That sets quite a high standard if Impact Point is ready to rock after this long absence.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Abjar chased home a mildly progressive sort in Lady Bergamot at Newcastle in June and probably rates a bigger threat than Salisbury second Balashakh.

Impact Point and Abjar were vying for favouritism at around 6-4 on the exchanges around 8 o’clock this morning.

After three winners yesterday I'm hoping for another profitable day.

Recommendations

• Musselburgh 3.30 – ALEXANDRAKOLLONTAI 11-2 (BetVictor)
• Musselburgh 4.00 – GREAT FIGHTER 9-2 (BetVictor)
• Wolverhampton 3.20 – IMPACT POINT 11-8 (Skybet)
• Wolverhampton 4.20 – WORDINESS ew 5-1 (BetVictor, McBookie)

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