Alan Thomson’s Racing Tips: Dynamic duo can make their Mark

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THE fact that Gordon Elliott and Jamie Spencer team up at Musselburgh won’t have escaped the bookies’ attention but MARKHAN (3.10) is still worth a bet.

The gelding has come here in search of some good ground and a repeat of his last run at Naas (third) would be smart enough in this Class 6 handicap. The winner ran third in a better event at Sligo on Wednesday evening, while the runner-up had won at the Curragh four days earlier.

Elliott’s KUIPER BELT (5.15) hacked up at Perth last week and should land the odds in the concluding two-mile handicap under Spencer.

There are some big southern yards represented on an attractive card but Mark Johnston could see them off with AUSTRIAN SCHOOL (4.10) in a cracking two-miler.

His gelding, a winner over 1m 6f at Chelmsford City back in May, appears to have been crying out for a stamina test. Austrian School has been coming up a little short in better-quality middle-distance contests. He again led for a long way at Ascot last time before being headed and rallying into third behind useful Kelly’s Dino and Atty Persse. His earlier second in the Glasgow Stakes at Hamilton was another solid effort and he may be classy enough to give away lots of weight all round.

Timoshenko has been placed astutely by Sir Mark Prescott to win his last four starts and is now elevated in class off a higher perch. William Haggas saddles his imposing filly Life On Earth, a comfortable Windsor winner. Although runner-up Vampish did absolutely nothing for the form next time at Wolverhampton, Life On Earth could be improving at a rate of knots. Artarmon carries a 6lb penalty for his Sandown success.

John Quinn sends out EDGE OF THE WORLD (3.40) for the first time since the filly’s switch from Ralph Beckett. A dual winner over six furlongs, she could progress again over this extra furlong from the foot of the weights.

Spencer teams up with Michael Bell’s Arabian Jazz but she has it to do to confirm Thirsk form with Forever A Lady, a solid fourth at Chester last week. Super Florence has stamina to prove, while Crochet didn’t convince with her finishing effort when stepped up to this trip at Doncaster in what was admittedly a slightly stronger event.

BLUE HAVANNA (4.40) disappointed when carrying my money at Hamilton but has been given a nice break by John Quinn. She had run really well on her previous start at Ripon when chasing home Airplane and Olympic Odyssey and she would beat course and distance winner Trautmann if deigning to run to that form. All the usual suspects turn up for this Class 6 affair so there doesn’t appear to be anything unexposed in the line-up, including Elliott’s Schindlers Ark, tailed off at Killarney last month.

Recommended bets

• Musselburgh 3.10- Markhan (9-4, bet365)
• Musselburgh 3.40- Edge Of The World (11-4, Ladbrokes)
• Musselburgh 4.10 – Austrian School (3-1, bet365)
• Musselburgh 4.40 – Blue Havanna (7-2, bet365)
• Musselburgh 5.15 – Kuiper Belt (4-5, bet365)

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