Musselburgh’s Cheltenham Trials attract high quality entries

At four miles and 176 yards, the bet365 Edinburgh National is the longest race – flat or jumps – staged in Scotland, but there are no shortage of quality entries for Musselburgh’s bet365 Scottish Cheltenham Trials Weekend this Saturday and Sunday. the 22 entries for Saturday’s feature race are the first, third and fourth from the 2020 running, Bob Mahler, Sumkindofking and Little Bruce, respectively, and the Warren Greatrex-trained winner went on to finish third in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Three-time Grand Nationalwinning trainer Gordon Elliott has four entries in the Class 2 £30,000 race, including Coko Beach, who carries the famous Gigginstown House Stud colours and is 5-1 joint-favourite with the race sponsor.

Indeed the Irish trainer has three of the first four in the early betting followed by The Ferry Master, who is on a hattrick for Borders trainer Sandy Thomson after wins at Newcastle and Kelso in November.

Eleven-time champion trainer Paul Nicholls saddled five winners over Musselburgh’s Scottish Cheltenamong ham trials weekend last year, and he has plenty of entries over both days including Shantou Flyer - second twice and third once in the last three Cheltenham Festivals - in Saturday’s Edinburgh National.

In the opening contest, the bet365 Frodon Novices’ Chase, Class 2 scorer at Ascot this season Allart is one of three Nicky Henderson entries and owner, Airdrie businessman Ronnie

Bartlett, will take a keen interest with the horse pencilled in for the Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham next month. Allart is an exciting prospect and connections will be hoping he can emulate Frodon, who won this race before successive wins in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

Last year’s bet365 Scottish

County Hurdle winner Dame De Compagnie, who holds multiple options at Cheltenham, is another Henderson entry and she made a pleasing winning chasing debut at Ayr recently in the J P Mcmanus colours.

Nicholls has won the bet365 Scottish Champions Chase the last three years and his sole entry, Cut The Mustard, is a mare who has been second in both recent starts in Listed company. In the same race, Dostal Phil, impressive on a chase debut at Newbury last month, could be a rare Musselburgh runner for Philip Hobbs who was victorious when two seasons ago his last course runners both won.