15:00 Musselburgh

Sunday 2 February 2025

All13:2213:5514:2515:0015:3516:0516:34

Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race)

Off time: 15:00 | Winning time: 5m 50.39s

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Selected odds by:

Bugise Seagull³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 12-0| J: David Bass| T: C E Longsdon| OR: 137

14/1

Irish point recruit who won first 2 starts over hurdles last term and ended campaign with good third in Aintree Grade 1 novice. Chasing didn't go to plan this season but back on track over hurdles when third of 6 at Doncaster (24.4f). Might just be in the grip of the handicapper at present.

Form: 133-2P3

Anna Bunina^t¹⁰⁰

Age: 9| Weight: 12-0| J: Callum Pritchard⁽⁵⁾| T: J C McConnell| OR: 137

14/1

Likeable mare but now eighteen runs since last win in 2022. Finished fourth in this race last year before a respectable run in the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival. Good second of 13 in handicap hurdle at Cheltenham (19.9f, good) 100 days ago and capable of hitting the frame once again.

Form: 70-3852

Samui^p,t¹⁴

Age: 6| Weight: 11-13| J: S Bowen| T: G Elliott| OR: 136

13/2

Smart performer on the Flat. Produced best effort to date in this sphere on return from 3-month break when winning a 9-runner handicap hurdle at Thurles (15.5f, good) 14 days ago. Always shaped as if 2½m miles would be within his reach, but into unknown territory tackling 3m here. Interesting.

Form: 15940-1

Red Risk^p²⁶¹

Age: 10| Weight: 11-13| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 136

20/1

Good second in the Grade 2 West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby last season but hasn't gone on from that, last seen when sixth of 12 in handicap hurdle at Aintree (20f, good to soft) back in May. However he is back down to his last winning mark and has run well fresh in the past. Each-way claims.

Form: 28407-6

Doyen Quest⁵¹

Age: 7| Weight: 11-12| J: Harry Skelton| T: D Skelton| OR: 135| BF| D

4/1

Progressive sort at the end of last season / start of this campaign, scoring 4 times over hurdles. hiked up 10 lb for the last of those wins at Cheltenham (3m) back in November. While he found his current mark beyond him when fourth at the same venue in December, he can still be competitive here.

Form: 211-214

Idem³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-5| J: P W Wadge| T: Miss Lucinda V Russell| OR: 128

18/1

Made the most of a drop in class to win an 11-runner handicap hurdle at Kelso (22.7f, good to soft) 35 days ago, travelled well and only push out late on. Up 4 lb and into a stronger race makes life tougher here.

Form: 5-128R1

Pyffo³⁵

Age: 7| Weight: 11-4| J: Paul O'Brien| T: Harry Derham| OR: 127| BF

8/1

Landed a 13-runner handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter (23.3f) in June when trained by Jonjo & A J O'Neill and left disappointing first start for new yard well behind when second (enjoying the run of the race) behind Super Survivor (won again since). Could build on that but this is a much warmer race here.

Form: 211432

Wakool^p³¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Dominic Hislop⁽¹⁰⁾| T: N W Alexander| OR: 125| CD

40/1

C&D winner but had a poor time last season and beaten 21 lengths when fourth on his return from wind surgery in November before being pulled-up (wore first-time tongue-tie) at Ayr last month. Cheekpieces on and tongue-tie removed here but easy to look elsewhere.

Form: 2069-40

Hamsiyann^t⁷⁸

Age: 5| Weight: 10-12| J: Daniel King| T: A J Martin| OR: 121

13/8

Very useful on the Flat (chased home subsequent Cesarewitch winner when last seen on the Level) and proving equally capable in this sphere, well-backed and readily landed a 10-runner handicap hurdle (21f) at Cheltenham. He'd need to be winning this if he's to line up in the Pertemps Final in March,

Form: 8023-1

Hurricane Ali⁴³

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: Charlotte Jones| T: James Moffatt| OR: 120

50/1

Has finished in the frame on ten occasions since his last success in September 2022 but likely has his work cut out to finish in the first 4 here.

Form: 263384

Top Man Tom^v³²

Age: 6| Weight: 10-6| J: Danny McMenamin| T: A M Thomson| OR: 115| CD

15/2

Winning pointer who was runner-up over hurdles for Ben Pauling. Well held first 2 outings for current yard, but with transformed with visor back on when winning last two starts, latest over C&D 32 days ago, although a few underperformed that day and he's in a much better race here.

Form: 525011

Non-Runners

Pigeon House¹

Weight: 11-2| Age: 5

T: J Candlish J: Sean Quinlan

Forecasts

Hamsiyann (13/8), Doyen Quest (4/1), Samui (13/2), Top Man Tom (15/2), Pyffo (8/1), Bugise Seagull (14/1), Anna Bunina (14/1), Idem (18/1), Red Risk (20/1), Pigeon House (20/1), Wakool (40/1), Hurricane Ali (50/1)

Plenty will be seeking a top 4 finish to qualify for the Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival in March and while most will want to protect their current handicap marks, connections of HAMSIYANN will be hoping that a win here will inflate his mark enough to be in contention for some of the big spring handicaps that lie just around the corner. Samui, Doyen Quest and Anna Bunina should all be in the mix for a place in the frame, possibly with one eye on bigger targets down the road.