Be prepared to think big with Kirby’s Little Bruce

Easy Catterick winner will relish extra trip

The Bet365 Edinburgh National looks tailor-made for Phil Kirby’s LITTLE BRUCE at Musselburgh on the opening day of the course’s premier jumps meeting of the season.

He was a relatively easy winner of the North Yorkshire version at Catterick where the longer the race went on, the easier he was going.

An extra two furlongs and a pretty lenient 6lb rise should not stop him.

Bryony Frost has four booked mounts for champion trainer Paul Nicholls today.

The 24-year-old jockey returns to where it all started, where she enjoyed her first win under rules five years ago.

In the curtain-raising bet365 Frodon Novices’ Chase, Frost partners SOUTHFIELD STONE in a race named after the horse that saw her become the first woman to ride a winner over fences at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Frost gets the leg up on Nicholls’ impressive Kempton winner Miranda in the £35,000 bet365 Scottish County Hurdle but it is SEBASTOPOL who gets the nod.

The six-year-old is a rare course runner for Ledbury-based trainer Tom Lacey.

HIGHLAND HUNTER looks the answer to the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle (Series Qualifier) on tomorrow’s second day at the East Lothian venue.

He did not run at all badly behind Stoney Mountain in a valuable race at Haydock in November on his first run for his new stable after a long absence.

Highland Hunter, who moved south to the Nicholls yard from Lucinda Russell’s stable in Kinross, was dropped 3lb, and that can only boost his prospects of success here.

French import SAINT XAVIER can take the bet365 Scottish Stayers’ Hurdle en route to bigger things.

The eight-year-old has had just the two runs in Britain since being bought by enthusiastic amateur rider David Maxwell out of Pierre Rausin’s stable.

He was quite highly-tried on his first start for Nicholls when out of the money behind Redford Road in a Grade Two novice hurdle at Cheltenham in December after a 384-day absence.

Dropped down in class, Saint Xavier could not have enjoyed an easier time when bolting up by 38 lengths from the only other finisher in a three-horse affair at Kempton three weeks ago.

He takes a step back up in grade, but is an interesting, as well as versatile, performer. He won over nearly three miles in at Auteuil chase and holds an entry in the Grand National.

The Nicholls team should make the long journey from their Somerset base pay off with other winners on this Cheltenham trials card.

THYME WHITE can make it third time lucky since his move from France by taking the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle.

The four-year-old has shaped well to finish second both times and looks to be adapting well to racing in the UK.

MORTLACH may crown a good day for Nicholls with victory in the bet365 Standard Open National Flat Race.

The son of Yeats will have learnt plenty from his debut when second at Chepstow eight weeks ago, and can go one better.

SELECTIONS

LINGFIELD: 12.35 Ayr Harbour, 1.10 Swiss Pride, 1.45 Kachy, 2.20 Goddess Of Fire, 2.55 Bangkok, 3.30 Mr Chua, 4.05 Herm.

MUSSELBURGH (TODAY): 12.57 Southfield Stone, 1.31 Valadom, 2.05 Sebastopol, 2.40 Cracking Destiny, 3.15 LITTLE BRUCE (NAP), 3.52 Bathsheba Bay, 4.26 Buck Dancing.

MUSSELBURGH (TOMORROW): 1.15 Chanceanotherfive, 1.45 Thyme White, 2.15 Malystic, 2.50 SAINT XAVIER (NAP), 3.20 Highland Hunter, 3.50 Diggin Deep, 4.20 Mortlach.

DOUBLE: Little Bruce and Bangkok.

Paul Nicholls: Could have a big weekend at Musselburgh.