Brave call can earn reward at Musselburgh

Bastiman-trained gelding has been in ‘tremendous form’

ROYAL BRAVE bids to follow up his Easter course and distance success in the feature race at Musselburgh tonight.

The Rebecca Bastiman-trained gelding, only unplaced in one of his five previous visits to the East Lothian venue, faces six rivals in the Racing UK Day Pass Just £10 Handicap.

“We were really chuffed when he won last time as his owners sponsored a race on the same card,” the Wetherby trainer said.

“He has been in tremendous form and the plan was always to come back to Musselburgh. Even when he hasn’t won he has run some cracking races, and fingers crossed he will again.”

Among the opposition to Royal Brave are Paul Midgley’s course and distance winning pair Silvanus and One Boy while top-weight Alsvinder, hooded for the first time, is an interesting contender on his seasonal reappearance for David O’Meara.

The evening season north of the border gets under way with the Racing UK Apprentice Handicap over the same 5f.

Five of the seven runners boast course and distance winning form including THORNABY PRINCESS whose two wins were at Musselburgh last July and September. SEBASTIAN’S WISH can make it two from two since joining Keith Dalgleish in the Racing UK In HD Handicap. One decent run at Newcastle aside, the four-year-old was largely disappointing during his previous spell with Richard Whitaker.

However, there was a lot to like about the way he knuckled down when making a successful start for his new trainer at Wolverhampton in January and a 3lb hike is not unfair for his return to the grass.

The booking of Joe Fanning can only be seen as a positive.

WONDER OF DUBAI looks the one to be on in the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Maiden Auction Stakes at Redcar. SELECTIONS:

MUSSELBURGH: 6.10 Eternalist, 6.40 Bonnie Gals, 7.10 Dark Crystal, 7.40 Sebastian’s Wish, 8.10 Royal Brave, 8.40 Tanawar.

REDCAR: 2.00 Society’s Dream, 2.30 Classical Times, 3.00 WONDER OF DUBAI (NAP), 3.30 Cabal, 4.00 Ronnie The Rooster, 4.30 Sakhee’s Return, 5.00 A Bit Of Ginger.

DOUBLE: Wonder Of Dubai and TANAWAR.