Le Musee chases Perth success

RACING: West Country raider runs in Finale feature

LE MUSEE, an impressive recent course scorer at 2m 4f, bids for more Perth success in the feature race at the Scone venue today on day one of the track’s season-closing Glorious Finale.

Trained in Devon by Nigel Hawke, the West Country raider faces eight rivals, including Royal runner Forth Bridge, in the £30,000 David Whitaker Handicap Chase staged over almost three miles.

David Noonan is again the jockey on board the top-weight and said: “He’s a horse that stayed this trip over hurdles and he picked up really well when I gave him squeeze last time. That was only his first handicap over fences and just his fourth chase so hopefully he is a horse with a bright future.”

As a jockey, Hawke landed the 1991 Grand National at Aintree on Seagram and he has two other runners today.

FORTH BRIDGE, trained by Charlie Longsdon and owned and bred by the Queen, recorded his first win over fences at Kempton in March and was second over course and distance last September.

Tim Reed-trained INDIAN TEMPLE is a regular at the Scone track where he was an all-the-way winner of this year’s Sam Morshead Perth Gold Cup – his third course victory – under the Northumberland handler’s son Harry.

TOPOFTHECOTSWOLDS, trained by Nigel Twiston-davies, is on a fourtimer after rattling up a hat-trick at Stratford in August and September.

Scottish interest is supplied by Lucinda Russell’s ELMONO and Iain Jardinetrained TRADITIONAL DANCER while all-time Perth leading trainer and jockey combination Gordon Elliot and Richard Johnson team up with GRAINEYHILL.

Nick Alexander is double-handed in the £16,000 Weatherbys TBA Handicap Hurdle with RYEDALE RACER and NICEANDEASY with the latter partnered by the Kinneston’s trainer’s daughter Lucy. SELECTIONS: GOODWOOD: 2.00 Herman Hesse, 2.30 Love Dreams, 3.05 Shining, 3.40 ILLUMINED (NAP), 4.10 Specialise, 4.45 De Vegas Kid, 5.20 More Than Likely. PERTH: 2.10 Carrie Des Champs, 2.40 Lucky Robin, 3.15 Justatenner, 3.50 Topofthecotswolds, 4.20 The Boola Bee, 4.55 Holy Motivation. REDCAR: 12.15 Sweet Embrace, 12.45 Breguet Boy, 1.15 Rulers Kingdom, 1.45 Thornaby Nash, 2.20 Buniann, 2.50 Brassica, 3.25 Grimsdyke, 3.55 Red Allure.

DOUBLE: Brassica and Illumined