15:30 Musselburgh

Monday 3 January 2022

All13:0013:3014:0014:3015:0015:30

Betway Casino Open NH Flat Race (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 4m 0.4s

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Selected odds by:

Big Arthur²⁵

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: Henry Brooke| T: Mrs H O Graham

100/1

Out with the washing on debut in a Newcastle bumper last month and it's best to look elsewhere.

Form: 0

Dom Bosco²⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: J J Burke| T: T R George

15/2

Nicely bred and showed plenty to work on when third at Ludlow first time out. Yard's runners usually come on for a run and, if that proves to be the case with this 5-y-o, he should be in the mix.

Form: 3

Hard Iron

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Sean Quinlan| T: N G Richards

5/1

€32,000 3-y-o. Closely related to useful hurdler/high-class chaser Royal Rendezvous and fair hurdler/fairly useful chaser Centurion Steel. Yard can ready a newcomer and market check strongly advised.

Form:

Holmes St Georges²²³

Age: 5| Weight: 11-0| J: James Bowen| T: S R B Crawford| BF

13/8

Fetched €50,000 as a 3-y-o and encouraging start to his career when fourth of 9 at Ballinrobe last May. Yard does well in bumpers on this side of the pond and he's a must for the shortlist.

Form: 4

Our Sam^h⁸¹

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Jamie Hamilton| T: James Moffatt

100/1

No show in bumpers at Perth and Carlisle, and it's hard to envisage him faring any better here.

Form: 60

Raythehandyman^t⁷⁰

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: Nathan Moscrop⁽³⁾| T: T Collier

50/1

Underwent a wind op following inauspicious deput display last spring and showed more spark when fifth on return at Ayr in October. However, anothe sizeable step forward will be needed here.

Form: 8-5

Roan

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: C O'Farrell| T: I Jardine

18/1

€12,000 3-y-o, Black Sam Bellamy gelding. Dam 2m hurdle winner, also 1¾m-2m winner on Flat. Yard saddles the occasional bumper winner and this one is worth a peek in the betting.

Form:

Champagnesocialist⁴³⁵

Age: 6| Weight: 10-7| J: S D Torrens⁽³⁾| T: J C McConnell

11/4

Showed plenty when runner-up in bumpers for Tom Taaffe at Roscommon and Galway early last season. 14-month absence to overcome for new yard here, but she's the one to beat all the same.

Form: 22-

Heaventree²²

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Craig Nichol| T: Ewan Whillans

250/1

No immediate signs of ability when tailed off on debut at Carlisle.

Form: 0

Notnowkate's^t²⁵⁹

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: D R Fox| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell

100/1

Decent enough pedigree, but she offered precious little starting out in a Hexham bumper last spring.

Form: 9-

Clova Hotel

Age: 4| Weight: 10-1| J: Callum Bewley| T: P D Niven

13/2

Sixties Icon gelding. Half-brother to bumper winner Simply Rouge. Yard is hardly a regular source of first-time-out winners, but this 4-y-o receives weight all round and is well worth a second look.

Form:

Forecasts

Holmes St Georges (13/8), Champagnesocialist (11/4), Hard Iron (5/1), Clova Hotel (13/2), Dom Bosco (15/2), Roan (18/1), Raythehandyman (50/1), Our Sam (100/1), Big Arthur (100/1), Notnowkate's (100/1), Heaventree (250/1)

Irish-raiders HOLMES ST GEORGES and Champagnesocialist could be the pair to concentrate on, for all that Dom Bosco is respected on the back of his encouraging debut and Hard Iron is a noteworthy newcomer. Champagnesocialist sets the standard, but Holmes St Georges is open to plenty of improvement having shaped well on debut at Ballinrobe and he is marginally preferred.