MUSSELBURGH stages its richest-ever fixture tomorrow and teenage apprentice David Probert can take the limelight by winning the big event – the National Express York Sprint Cup on Siren's Gift.
The £60,000 five-furlong dash (3.15pm) is the feature on a card which sports more than £150,000 in prize money and the pace will be fast and furious in the race for the top prize.
Probert is enjoying great year and is five winners clear of stable
companion William Buick in the race for Champion Apprentice title, while Siren's Gift has some rock-solid form in major sprints.
The four-year-old is trained by Probert's boss, Andrew Balding and makes the long trek from Berkshire. She has yet to win this term, but has run with credit in big races at Ascot, Goodwood and Doncaster, where she was caught near the line last month when Probert was on board.
They were beaten a short head and an neck by Hogmaneigh and River Falcon, but can take revenge on marginally better terms.
Siren's Gift was also beaten just half a length in a competitive Listed sprint at Newmarket last month.
Tombi will go well despite his big weight, while Fullandby and Reverence are classy sprinters, but Siren's Gift just gets the vote.
Several major Southern stables are represented, including Saeed bin Suroor who sends With Interest to represent Godolphin in the scotbet.com Conditions Stakes (3.45pm) and the five-year-old can collect.
He won twice in Dubai in the spring and has run well in three recent races, including when a close second to a very progressive three-year-old at Doncaster last month.
Merchant of Dubai impressed when scoring on the East Lothian track in September and can win again over the same mile and three quarters trip in the Play scotbetpoker.com Handicap (2.40pm).
The three-year-old was successful as a juvenile in easy ground at Ayr last year and has shaped like a real stayer this term.
He relished the step up in trip when winning here and was then unlucky when hampered and only fourth at Ayr's big Western meeting.
But he recouped those losses in great style over a mile and a half at Southwell and, to boost the form, the runner-up there has since finished second in a competitive affair.
Goliath's Boy was a promising second on his debut at Pontefract recently and can go one better in the National Express Maiden Stakes (4.20pm). Richard Fahey's youngster cost 44,000 guineas but surely won't be long in losing his maiden tag.
He tracked the leaders until losing his place as the pace quickened and he ran green into the home turn at Pontefract but, when the penny dropped and he realised what was required, the gelding stayed on strongly up the hill. With that experience under his belt and with an extra furlong on easier ground ahead of him, he will carry my cash.
Musselburgh boss Bill Farnsworth is delighted with the seven-race card which has attracted more than 80 runners and said: "We have a little rain forecast, so conditions may just be on the easy side – perfect for the time of year.
"We exchanged our usual Scottish Sprint day in midsummer with York – who are currently carrying out a major drainage scheme – and got this fixture in return and it is the richest meeting ever staged here.
"We have runners from the major Southern yards and four races will be screened live on Channel 4. The quality is there and underlines the progress we have made here," he added.
Joe Rowntree's selections: 2.40 Merchant of Dubai; 3.15 Siren's Gift; 3.45 With Interest; 4.20 Goliaths Boy
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