There’s a stunning day of National Hunt action in front of the ITV Racing cameras on Sunday 1 February, as the Dublin Racing Festival takes place, as well as six races from Musselburgh.
Our top value tipster Matty Sutcliffe has focused on the action north of the border and picked out his best bets across Musselburgh‘s card, as day two of the Scottish Trials weekend takes place.
1:25 Musselburgh – Frodon Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5yo+) – Dedicated Hero 9/4 1pt WIN
Dedicated Hero split rivals rated 15lbs and 16lbs higher on his chase debut at Ayr who’d already shown strong form over fences and should he step forward from that then he’s taken to return to the winner’s enclosure on this chase handicap debut.
The Shirocco gelding was well backed to win two bumpers around Kelso in 2024, and came on from his hurdles debut to land a pair of two mile hurdles latterly the G2 Rossington Main at Haydock last season. He was too keen for his own good when fifth in listed company at Perth toward the end of the season, but he shaped with promise at the start of this term when midfield in both the Castletown Handicap at Carlisle before his seventh in the Greatwood.
It’s a slight concern that he’s 0-4 beyond two miles, but he looked outpaced prior to the last over two miles at Ayr on chase debut and stayed on well behind Meetmebythesea in heavy going, so this step back up in trip on a sounder surface and a sharper track shouldn’t pose much of a stamina-laden test and I’d expect him to be making his presence felt off a mark of 123 in this sphere.
1:55 Musselburgh – bet365 Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5yo+ 0-125) – Koukeo 5/2 1pt WIN
The Jonjo O’Neill yard have started to find their form in recent weeks particularly with their chasers, and Koukeo looks to have found a golden opportunity to enhance his unbeaten record over fences.
The Kapgarde gelding took a while to get off the mark over hurdles before beating a dual subsequent winner at Exeter last April with the pair pulling nicely clear of the third, but his form has improved significantly since switch to the larger obstacles. He was given a quiet ride throughout by Jonjo Jnr on chase debut sitting just in behind Bond Broker and 4/7F Norn Iron. The pair went a good gallop up front, and O’Neil was incredibly confident on Koukeo to loom upsides them three out, jumping into the lead before running away with the race by ten lengths.
He then went to Haydock up in class in a competitive ten runner affair that was again run at a good clip, sitting midfield throughout for the most part. Long time leader Escapeandevade looked to have stole the race having gone three lengths clear two out, but Koukeo gathered him in with a smart turn of foot to win a shade cosily on the line.
A 6lbs rise looks unlikely to stop this progressive chaser, and he drops from 0-130 company into what looks likes a more than winnable 0-125 for a yard who rarely send their chasers up to Musselburgh.
2:30 Musselburgh – Position Payout A bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Go North Cab On Target Series Qualifier) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-115) – Summergrounds 4/1 1pt WIN
Since returning from wind surgery in 2023, Summergrounds has been remarkably consistent over hurdles with form figures of 513232115222, including a two length success last March in his sole C&D start.
He followed that up with a neck success at Ayr under a perfectly timed ride by Ella McGarry in a conditionals jockey contest, collaring the Callum Pritchard ridden second who franked that to a degree in class two company at Kempton next time out.
He returned from a 93-day break in August to finished second twice to Moonbow, who was then beaten only a length in class two company at Aintree by 7/4F Ace Of Spades now rated 139 after landing a Pertemps Qualifier off top weight at Huntington last time out.
He could only manage second once more off a career high mark of 112 at Sedgefield on Boxing Day under Ella McGarry, but the progressive winner was improving for a first time tongue tie, and I suspect that Summergrounds will be better suited to this flatter track back at Musselburgh despite another 2lbs rise.
3:05 Musselburgh – Edinburgh National Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-150) – Inis Oirr 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
The yard form of Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore has been borderline deplorable this season, but I’m willing to take a chance that they can turn the corner with Inis Oirr, who was well backed into 4/1 favouritism in his bid to land back to back renewals of this race last season prior to unseating at the first.
The Ocovango gelding blew his mark by bolting up twenty one lengths in this race in 2024 and has struggled in the grip of the handicapper ever since, but he bounced back to form on seasonal debut at Carlisle in October when beaten a neck by 10/3 favourite Dare To Shout.
His form has admittedly gone backwards since, but his last two efforts have been what can only be described as confidence booster over hurdles and he now finds himself on career low mark of 111 over fences. The cheekpieces return for only the second time going chasing, and while he is 2lbs out of the weights here, his season will have been tailored around this contest and he’s worth chancing to return to form from a 6lbs lower mark than when he bolted up in this in 2024.
Matty Sutcliffe’s Best Bets – Sunday 1 February
1:25 Musselburgh – Frodon Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5yo+) – Dedicated Hero 9/4 1pt WIN
1:55 Musselburgh – bet365 Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 3) (5yo+ 0-125) – Koukeo 5/2 1pt WIN
2:30 Musselburgh – Position Payout A bet365 Handicap Hurdle (Go North Cab On Target Series Qualifier) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-115) – Summergrounds 4/1 1pt WIN
3:05 Musselburgh – Edinburgh National Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (Class 2) (5yo+ 0-150) – Inis Oirr 12/1 1pt EW 3 places
FAQs
What are today’s racing tips?
Matthew Sutcliffe provides his best bets at Musselburgh on Sunday 1 February.
When were Matthew Sutcliffe’s tips published?
Matty Sutcliffe’s Musselburgh tips for Sunday 1 February were published at 1.25pm on Friday 30 January.
Who is Matthew Sutcliffe?
Matthew Sutcliffe is GGs newest contributor, often providing a value angle for his tips. He writes weekly columns for the weekend’s racing, as well as taking aim at ante-post markets at the Cheltenham Festival.
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