The Sunday Series provides an excellent end to the punting week for racing fans. Taking place the day after the Grand National, the Musselburgh card is filled with competitive action.
Across the seven races at the Scottish track, Matty Sutcliffe has four best bets for you to follow in the Sunday Series.
Musselburgh Racing Tips (Sunday 12 April)
Musselburgh’s Sunday Series card will be broadcast in its entirety on ITV. Across the seven races, Matty has four top tips.
4:15 Musselburgh – Enter ITV7 For Free Handicap (Class 5) (3yo 0-75) – Saxon Prince 5/1 1pt WIN
Saxon Prince was 0-5 for Andrew Balding but he came close on a number of occasions and it’ll be interesting to see what improvement the Quinn’s can bring out of him now stepping up to a mile having bought him for 26,000gns last month.
He looked as if he was going to get up to win at Kempton last month despite being first off the bridle in rear, but the 11/8F just poked her nose in front. That looked a tricky enough four runner affair there, splitting last time out winners.
He makes his turf debut off a mark of 65, and he’s superbly bred to improve for it. His dam was a turf winner rated 83, and she’s a sibling to a whole host of smart sorts, notably the Group One placed and Group Two Middleton winner See The Fire, with their grand-dam the 2015 Juddmonte winner Arabian Queen.
He has a wide draw to contend with, but he’s likely to be ridden to get the trip regardless and I’d expect him to prove much better than 65 in time particularly now on the grass.
4:45 Musselburgh – Sky Bet Build A Bet Fillies’ Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Ice Sovereigns 6/1 1pt WIN
Ten Sovereigns filly Ice Sovereigns contested two hot maidens to begin her career last season with form working out well, particularly when finishing five lengths behind the subsequent G2 May Hill Stakes winner Aylin who’s now rated 108.
She got off the mark in calmer waters when a five length winner at Carlisle with the second going in next time out, and she backed that up in impressive fashion off top-weight on nursery debut, with the fourth winning three times since.
The Group 2 Rockfel Stakes was perhaps a tad too far when a well beaten tenth, but it speaks volumes they thought she was good enough to contest that race and she can fare better now dropping back into a handicap up north, and given she’s related to two winning milers she can improve further for this trip.
5:15 Musselburgh – Sky Bet For The Fans Holyrood Handicap – Thunder Wonder 12/1 1pt EW 4 places
Usual prominent racer Thunder Wonder fared no chance after missing the break at Wolverhampton last time out, racing rank last and Callum Shepherd was quite happy to let him come home in his own time, for all beaten only five lengths.
He was beaten three lengths on the all-weather on seasonal debut last term before bolting up five lengths here, and thus it’s plausible to suggest how the race panned out last month was the plan to be spot on for this.
Course form is golden around this track, and he backed up three races later in the Edinburgh Cup Handicap off a mark of 92. He went off the boil subsequently, but he contest a number of highly competitive handicaps and he now finds himself 7lbs lower than that last success and a pound higher than his first course victory.
5:45 Musselburgh – Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-80) – Humble Spark 14/1 1pt EW 4 places
Humble Spark made a pleasing return to turf when a three length fourth in the 0-95 Queens Cup over 1m6f here last weekend, and he now drops back into a 0-80 with the return of Paul Mulrennan along with first time cheekpieces.
He’s had just the one win on turf, but he had just the one attempt on it last season in a 0-100 handicap at Haydock and he was beaten a length into second by Caballo De Mar, who is now rated 19lbs higher after winning the Copper Horse Handicap Stakes next time out, and the G1 Prix Du Cadran later in the season.
He’s already 6lbs below that excellent piece of form just two turf runs later, and it would be surprising if he isn’t on the premises dropping starkly in class from the Queen’s Cup last time out.
Matty Sutcliffe’s Best Bets
4:15 Musselburgh – Enter ITV7 For Free Handicap (Class 5) (3yo 0-75) – Saxon Prince 5/1 1pt WIN
4:45 Musselburgh – Sky Bet Build A Bet Fillies’ Handicap (Class 4) (3yo+ 0-85) – Ice Sovereigns 6/1 1pt WIN
5:15 Musselburgh – Sky Bet For The Fans Holyrood Handicap – Thunder Wonder 12/1 1pt EW 4 places
5:45 Musselburgh – Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 4) (4yo+ 0-80) – Humble Spark 14/1 1pt EW 4 places
Matty Sutcliffe’s Top Tips – Saturday 11 April
FAQs
What are today’s racing tips?
Matthew Sutcliffe provides his best bets for the racing at Musselburgh on Sunday 12 April.
When were Matthew Sutcliffe’s tips published?
Matty Sutcliffe’s racing tips were published at 12.10pm on Saturday 11 April.
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. Follow him on X: @MattySutcliffe
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