Riviere can keep form flowing at Musselburgh

Ben Curtis and Riviere Argentee bid to extend their winning partnership in the feature race at Musselburgh this evening.

The pair face seven rivals, including Keith Dalgleish’s pair Artful Rogue and Mystikana, in the Macroberts LLP Handicap.

Middleham-based Karl Burke, pictured, who trains the grey filly, said: “She gets on well with Ben and they have won two races together. Ben gave her a well-judged ride at Catterick last week and she runs under a 6lb penalty.

“It was her second win at Catterick as she bounced back to winning ways. She travelled well throughout and the step back up to a mile and a half and the drying ground all came in her favour.”

Another to consider in the £8,000 contest is Northwest Frontierfortherichardfahey/ Paul Hanagan combination. The Galileo gelding wasn’t disgraced in much higher grade at Thirsk last month and has dropped to a tempting mark.

Fahey and Hanagan are also represented by recent Southwell scorer Amadeus in the opening Racing UK Handicap.

The shortest priced favourite of the evening is Keith Dalgleish’s Soldier’s Minute in the Central Taxis – Faster, Greener, Safer Novice Stakes. With a rating of 97 he will be hard to beat and was a close fourth in a Listed race at Doncaster’s St Leger Festival last September.

At Redcar this afternoon, Maksab, who just failed to hit the target on his return last month, can make amends in the Racing UK Profits Returned To Racing Handicap.

Mick Channon’s charge was beaten a length and threequarters on his seasonal bow at Newmarket last month, making the early running from his low draw before those efforts perhaps told a bit at the finish.

He was beaten by a seemingly progressive rival that day and given this will be his ninth career start, Maksab is probably pretty well known by the handicapper these days. However, Maksab has proved capable off a slightly higher mark than his current perch of 84 previously, so you should be assured of a good run in what is, on the face of it, a slightly cooler heat than he faced at Headquarters.

Diplomacy can hit the ground running for David O’meara in the Subscribe To Racing UK On Youtube Novice Median Auction Stakes. He was limited to just one start as a juvenile last term, finishing a fair fourth over the same seven furlongs he faces again here. This Champs Elysees gelding was perhaps slightly found out on testing autumn ground on that occasion, but he is related to a couple of decent runners and could improve on a better surface.

Chiefofchiefs is the choice in the totetrifecta Pick The 1,2,3 Handicap at Chelmsford after a pleasing return to action last month. Having his first start after a winter break and a gelding operation, Chiefofchiefs stayed on from off the pace to be beaten just over four lengths in fifth when tackling a better event than this at Newmarket.

He had previously been just under three lengths behind Addeybb off level weights on his final start last term and the value of that form has been well and truly underlined with the winner landing the Lincoln already this year

before adding a Group Two triumphatsandownlastweek.

It would be a push to say Chiefofchiefs is anywhere near that good, but Charlie Fellowes has always liked his charge and gelding him could be the making of him.

Victory Wave will be a popular choice in the Compare Bookies At freebetting.co.uk Novice Stakes at Southwell after hacking up by six lengths at the track last month.

That was only an average maiden at best but her manner of victory was impressive and she likely would not have to be too good to follow up.